Inside LSU Health Shreveport - 2021

Inside LSU HEALTH SHREVEPORT

School of Medicine School of Graduate Studies School of Allied Health Professions LSU Health Sciences Foundation A YEAR IN REVEIW 2021

SURGICAL SKILLS LAB

Inside LSU Health Shreveport is published by the Office of Communications and LSU Health Sciences Foundation Shreveport on behalf of the School of Medicine, School of Graduate Studies, School of Allied Health Professions and the LSUHS Foundation.

A YEAR IN REVIEW 2021

DEAN, SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

David F. Lewis, MD, MBA DEAN, SCHOOL OF ALLIED HEALTH PROFESSIONS Sharon Dunn, PT, PhD, OCS DEAN, SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES Christopher Kevil, PhD

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WHEN NORMAL BECOMES EXTRAORDINARY

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CHILDREN’S AUTISM CLINIC

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RESEARCH WRAP

13 EVENING FOR HEALERS 14 HONORS & APPOINTMENTS 18 ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT 19 ALUMNI NOTES

Letter from the Interim Chancellor Who could have imagined in March of 2020 that we would still be dealing with the pandemic in December of 2021? Despite the ongoing challenges wrought by the pandemic, I give you my assurance that LSU Health Shreveport will remain steadfast in the delivery of:

20 IN MEMORIUM

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22 2021 NEW FACULTY

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23 CAMPUS & COMMUNITY 26 NEW & NOTEWORTHY

Cutting-edge medical care alongside our partner Ochsner Health Exemplary medical education contributing to the needed healthcare workforce of the future Easily accessible COVID-19 testing and vaccinations

LSU Health Shreveport is blessed to have so many incredible opportunities and accomplishments, which you will learn about in this issue of Inside LSU Health Shreveport. Our bright future is a result of our dedicated and talented staff and students and the myriad foundations, corporations and individuals who invest in the future of our institution and community. I offer my appreciation to each of you.

We recently witnessed that every life holds the potential to deliver “an out-of-this-world” impact when 2016 Physician Assistant Alumna Hayley Arceneaux became not only the youngest American in space but the first with a prosthetic. In pursuing her goal to return to St. Jude Children’s Hospital as a medical professional after being treated there as a child, she has accomplished so much more.I urge each of us to follow Hayley’s lead and pursue our goals to make a difference —we might just make a greater impact to mankind than we ever imagined.

David Lewis, MD, MBA Interim Chancellor, Dean of School of Medicine, Professor and Chairman of Obstetrics & Gynecology

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WHEN NORMAL BECOMES

EXTRAORDINARY On May 21 when 198 students from LSU Health Shreveport’s three professional schools experienced an in-person commencement, this once routine event became anything but ordinary. Now 15 months after overcoming much more than the rigor of their respective curriculums, this event became not just expected, but cherished, since the 2020 commencement was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The graduating class of 2021 will hold a place in history, having overcome living and learning during the only pandemic of their lifetimes. Pandemic life meant adjusting to limited social interaction as visits to restaurants, bars, gyms, and sporting events disappeared, as did daily interactions with classmates which are a primary support system for many. Couple this with a transition from in-person to online learning and the students had a complete change thrust on them, all while incredible amounts of information kept coming their way.

Once the difficult decision of whether to hold commencement in-person was made, the path forward was not paved with ease. After months of planning and implementing an outdoor, inperson commencement at Independence Stadium, a prediction of possible rain early in the week turned to a 70 percent chance of rain on the day of commencement, resulting in the necessity to move commencement indoors 24 hours prior to it occurring. Teamwork at its finest was in high gear and the 2021 LSU Health Shreveport Commencement became one for the record books. For as many things as went wrong, even more went right, including securing newly elected Congresswoman Julia Letlow as the commencement speaker. Having recently lost her 41-year-old husband, Luke Letlow, to COVID-19 on December 29, 2020, Congresswoman Letlow understood all too well the challenges these

graduates had overcome when life went from normal to an unwelcomed and unexpected new normal.

Congresswoman Letlow, who ran for and won her husband’s seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in April 2021, delivered a personal and poignant message on the irreplaceable impact of healthcare workers and scientists.

“In my life as well, I have experienced hardship and things that have not gone as planned,’’ Rep. Letlow shared. “Over the last few years, my young son Jeremiah turned 3 and my daughter Jacqueline was born just before quarantine. My career in higher ed at ULM was growing stronger and my husband, Luke, ran an incredible campaign, culminating with him being elected to Congress this past December. To say we were on a mountaintop, when my husband contracted and died of COVID-19, would be an understatement.”

Rep. Letlow, like these graduates, had been tested in ways never expected. After thanking the graduates and faculty in the audience for their selfless service during the pandemic, she turned her focus to a simple message of “Win the Day.” She encouraged graduates to “win the day” by choosing to make the decisions that are right for them and their patients every single day, allowing their career to go from good to exceptional.

On May 21, 2021, LSU Health Shreveport graduates won the day by achieving their goal of becoming healthcare professionals and by being able to share that amazing accomplishment with their fellow graduates, faculty, friends, and family.

LSU Health Shreveport salutes this class of graduates and commencement speaker for rising above life’s unexpected circumstances to prove that fortitude and the desire to make a difference really do matter.

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SPOTLIGHT

Children’s Autism Clinic Tears immediately well up in Icela Williams’s eyes when she begins to describe the past struggles with her 4-year-old son, Addis. “I started to feel crazy.

Everyone kept telling me, ‘don’t worry, he’s fine,’ but I knew something wasn’t right.” Addis was recently diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This developmental disorder affects communication and behavior in one out of every 54 children in the United States. While ASD is common and symptoms can usually be detected around age 2, it can be difficult to diagnose. Like so many children and their families, Addis’s journey to receive a diagnosis was challenging.

“Around the 8- to 10-month mark is when I first noticed the differences between Addis and other children. He was still crawling on his belly while other children were pulling up,” Icela shared. Around age 1, Addis’s parents met with their pediatrician, who referred them for autism screening, however every clinic they called had at least an eight-month waitlist.

But Icela didn’t let that stop her from trying to do everything possible to help Addis. Icela began searching online, reading everything she could find on ASD in an attempt to treat her son herself. Addis eventually began receiving speech and occupational therapy services around age 2. “(The sessions) were too short, expensive, and I felt like it wasn’t helping him a lot,” Addis’s father, Shalom Sahlie, said. “He needed more of it. Two months later, we’re still doing the “I started to feel crazy. same thing.”

Everyone kept telling me, ‘don’t worry, he’s fine,’ but I knew something wasn’t right.”

As Addis grew older, his problems persisted, and the differences between him and his peers became more evident. “Walking up or down a curb was like climbing a mountain for him,” Icela said. “He choked a lot because he would put whole pieces of food — Icela Williams, in his mouth.” Addis also struggled mother of Addis behaviorally at daycare, screaming and acting out and eventually being asked to leave. Icela and Shalom remember that time as especially tough and challenging. “I thought, what am I doing wrong? Why can’t I help my child?” Icela reflected on their journey. The parents were at their wit’s end. In order to authorize any ASD therapy, their medical insurance would require an official medical diagnosis.

There was hope for Addis to receive a diagnosis at the LSU Health Shreveport Children’s Center located within the School of Allied Health Professions. Icela and Shalom requested an evaluation and shortly after his third birthday in March of 2020, Icela and Shalom were contacted by the Children’s Center to begin the process. However, the Children’s Center, like the entire world, was affected by shutdowns due to the coronavirus pandemic. Dr. Michelle

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Yetman, Clinical Psychologist and Clinical Assistant Professor at LSUHS, and Mike McGill, Assistant Director of the Children’s Center and Speech-Language Pathologist, put together a robust plan to conduct Addis’s evaluation via telehealth. They coached Addis’s parents through setting up their home to mimic the clinic where evaluations are typically performed.

Shalom remembers being very skeptical of the telehealth process. “We were nervous whether they were going to see everything that we see,” he said. “We were worried we’d have another door close in our face after 20 doors have already closed,” Icela added. But Dr. Yetman did see Addis’s behavioral issues, and diagnosed him with Autism Spectrum Disorder, making him the first case diagnosed via telehealth at the LSU Health Shreveport Children’s Center. Icela and Shalom were relieved to finally have a diagnosis so Addis could begin treatment.

Once the clinic reopened for patients in August 2020, Addis began Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) Therapy at the Children’s Center for half a day, five days a week. ABA therapy is an intensive therapy for children with ASD designed to increase language and communication skills, improve attention, focus, social skills, memory, and academics, as well as decrease problem behaviors. “ABA therapy is a highly effective, evidencebased treatment for ASD with 30 years of research behind it,” Dr. Yetman said. After just two weeks of therapy, Addis’s parents could see a tremendous improvement. “(The Children’s Center) was the first place Addis went where I wasn’t constantly worrying about him struggling or acting out,” Icela said. “We went from having tantrums all the time to hardly at all very quickly.”

The ABA therapy clinic is the most recent addition to the Children’s Center due to a generous gift from the Q=Petersen Family Foundation. The family’s gift established the ABA therapy clinic at the Children’s Center, allowing Addis and other children diagnosed with ASD to benefit for years to come. In fact, Addis was the first child to begin receiving ABA therapy at the Children’s Clinic.

“My family knew we wanted to do something to positively impact the lives of children here in our community,” said Jon Q=Petersen. “I was already familiar with the standard of care through the School of Allied Health Professions at LSU Health Shreveport and knew that supporting the Children’s Center would allow it to become a self-sustaining resource for children and their families in this community.”

The Q=Petersen family was struck with tragedy in 2014 when they lost their granddaughter to Trisomy 13, a rare genetic disease, at her birth. Through their grief, the family felt clearly called to support a children’s initiative. “As a family, that really shook us to our core,” Mr. Q=Petersen said. “We wanted to do something to honor her.” Additionally, one of Mr. Q=Petersen’s grandsons began showing signs of developmental delays. “We became shockingly aware of

how few resources there are for children and their families in Shreveport,” Mr. Q=Petersen said. The Q=Petersen family hopes to eliminate the gap in high-quality healthcare for children who cannot travel or have limited resources in the Shreveport community. “We are excited to see this program launch,” he added. “There are so many children right here in Shreveport who need this kind of care.”

The Q=Petersen’s gift has opened the door for the Children’s Center at LSU Health Shreveport. “The Children’s Center can now be a ‘one-stop shop’ for children with behavioral disorders and their families in our community,” said Dr. Yetman. Many children with ASD also require other therapies like speech, occupational, or physical therapy. The LSU Health Shreveport School of Allied Health Professions offers all of these services, relieving a heavy burden on families who typically receive these services from multiple providers.

“We know early intervention is key when it comes to treating autism spectrum disorder,” Dr. Yetman said. “Demand for therapy is so high in our community, and we want to help as many families as we can.” Because of the rapid success of the ABA clinic and the need to expand the ABA services provided, the CC ABA clinic is in the process of hiring two Applied Behavioral Line Technicians. This rapid expansion is made possible due to the Q=Petersen gift.

The clinic is full now with a waiting list, with the current ABA clinician providing 40 hours of week of ABA care with both one-on-one intervention and small group therapy to accommodate more children. The influx of clients led to the additional of two AB line technicians.

The mission of the LSU Health Shreveport Children’s Center is to maximize the potential of children, infancy through 15 years of age, throughout the Ark-La-Tex by providing diagnostic assessment and treatment, supporting and educating families and service providers, and offering technical assistance and outreach to community agencies.

“The Children’s Center is the premiere diagnostic center for children with ADHD, autism, and other behavioral disorders,” said Dr. Suzanne Tinsley, Assistant Vice Chancellor of Institutional Advancement and Assistant Dean in the School of Allied Health Professions. “We are incredibly grateful for the Q=Petersen’s generous gift to our center, and we hope this is just the beginning in expanding our resources available to the children and their families in our community.”

Addis will be off to preschool in the Fall of 2021, confident and prepared. “The future is so bright for him,” Icela said. “We truly did not know where to turn for Addis, so we are thankful for the phenomenal care he has received at the LSU Health Shreveport Children’s Center.” To other families who may be struggling with a child with ASD, Icela encourages them to “just keep pushing on. Have persistence and it will pay off.”

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RESEARCH WRAP LSUHS DEVICE Group Develop Tidal Volume Monitor A new device developed by LSU Health Shreveport faculty and students works to breathe life into emergency situations.

Spearheaded by the LSUHS DEVICE group, the patent-pending Tidal Volume Monitor project is working to increase the safety and efficacy of emergency ventilation with the creation of lifesaving technology. This collaborative effort was undertaken

by Steve Alexander, PhD, Professor of Molecular and Cellular Physiology; Steven Conrad, MD, PhD, MS, MSE, MBA, MSST, MSc, Professor of Medicine, Emergency Medicine, Pediatrics, and Anesthesiology, and Ike Muslow Endowed Chair of Healthcare Informatics; Giovanni Solitro, PhD, Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery; and two medical students, Luke White, MD/PhD candidate, and Ben Maxey, MD candidate. After realizing the severe respiratory system symptoms associated with COVID-19, which has literally taken the breath away of so many, the DEVICE group worked quickly to produce a simple, inexpensive metronomic flow monitor that provides immediate feedback on a hand-powered ventilation with the purpose of improving oxygenation.

Tidal volume describes the amount of air that moves in or out of the lungs with each breath, or respiratory cycle. On average, it measures around 500mL in a healthy adult male and approximately 400mL in a healthy adult female. Manual ventilation is a basic skill used by many health care providers and first responders that involves assessing the airway, maneuvering to open the airway using an airway support device, and applying effective positive-pressure ventilation using a bag and mask. A bag valve mask, sometimes known by the proprietary name Ambu bag or generically as a manual resuscitator or “self-inflating bag,” is a hand-held device commonly used to help get air to a patient’s lungs when they are not breathing or not breathing adequately. The application of this noninvasive, life-saving device enables an individual to

Dr. Xiao-Hong Lu Awarded NASA Grant Xiao-Hong Lu, PhD, Assistant Professor of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Neuroscience, has been awarded a $750,000 grant from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Biological and Physical Sciences Division’s Space Biology Program to develop a novel genetic engineering technology to evaluate the impact of space radiation on the human brain.

Astronauts who travel to Mars or other deep space destinations will become exposed to chronic cosmic radiation for years at a time when they leave Earth’s protective cocoon. One of the most worrisome consequences of long-term radiation exposure is the adverse effects on the brains of deep space travelers. Lengthy exposures can potentially affect mood and critical decision making. Major concerns have been raised that deep space flight may also lead to long-lasting brain injury or late-onset neurodegenerative diseases, such as dementia or Parkinson’s disease.

Dr. Lu’s research team will use the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory (NSRL) at Brookhaven National Laboratory to simulate cosmic radiation in space vehicles and on the surface of Mars. Using NASA’s Gene Lab at Ames Research Center, 6

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accurately receive critical levels of oxygen in an emergency scenario.

The Tidal Volume Monitor was created for use in ICUs, public clinics, ambulances, nursing homes, and other emergency scenarios where hand ventilation may be done frequently but incorrectly. Poor ventilation may lead to under oxygenation, and over-bagging can cause lung injury. This technology is even more valuable when considering the shortages of mechanical ventilators seen in some hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The device ensures that manual ventilation is done correctly by using a series of sounds and lights to rapidly train operators and emergency responders to more accurately administer hand respiration support for patients while they are in transit to a more sophisticated ventilator. The device also prevents injury and ensures the patient does not sustain lung damage from improper use of the flow monitor.

The LSUHS DEVICE group is a think tank of faculty members and students who have conceived various conceptual improvements for current medical devices and supplies, such as 3D-printed masks, a rapid-assembly ventilator design, and the proof of concept for 3D-printed swabs used for COVID-19 testing. The group plans to continue innovating and expanding on today’s technology to help improve health outcomes in the future. the project will determine how factors such as the space environment and biological sex affect the genetic material in brain cells. Consequently, the team’s discoveries may lead to a deeper understanding of age-related brain structure and function changes.

The project is an impressive collaboration with multiple LSU campuses, including co-investigators: Lynn Harrison, PhD, Professor of Molecular and Cellular Physiology at LSU Health Shreveport; Jeffery Chancellor, PhD, Assistant Professor of Physics at LSU Baton Rouge; and Urska Cvek, ScD, MBA, Professor and Co-Director of the Laboratory for Advanced Biomedical Informatics at LSU Shreveport. The overarching goal of the project is to provide additional evidence that deep space travel poses a real and unique threat to the integrity of the brain. The realization of the basic mechanisms of how cosmic radiation can cause brain injury will lead to the development of biologic counter-measures to protect deep space travelers.

“A human mission to Mars is the next giant leap for humanity.

The trip to Mars takes up to nine months one way with current propulsion technology,” Dr. Lu said. “All the researchers on the project hope to resolve the single biggest obstacle— understanding the radiation environment in space—so that humankind may travel beyond the Earth’s orbit to Mars.”

Exploring the Effects of COVID-19 on the Brain New research by Ricardo Costa, PhD, a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department Molecular and Cellular Physiology, offers an up-close view of how SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, can spread to the brain. The study helps explain the alarming array of neurological symptoms reported in some patients with COVID-19. The groundbreaking research also reveals clues as to why some patients suffer severe neurological effects while others experience none at all. The study is led by Diana Cruz-Topete, PhD, Assistant Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology, and includes collaborators Oscar Gomez-Torres, PhD, and Emma Burgos-Ramos, PhD, from Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha in Spain.

The researchers report evidence that SARSCoV-2 can infect both the nerve cells that power our brains (neurons) and the cells in the brain and spinal cord that support and protect neurons (astrocytes).

“Our findings suggest that astrocytes are a pathway through which COVID-19 causes neurological damage,” said Dr. Costa, the study’s first author. “This could explain many of the neurologic symptoms we see in COVID-19 patients, which include loss of sense of smell and taste, disorientation, psychosis and stroke.”

called angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) receptors. It has been unclear whether brain cells have this receptor. For the study, Costa and colleagues examined RNA and proteins to determine whether cell cultures of human astrocytes and neurons expressed ACE2. They then exposed the cells to a version of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that had been modified to be safe for researchers to handle. The studies confirmed that both astrocytes and neurons express the ACE2 receptor and that both cell types can become infected with SARS-CoV-2, though astrocytes were less likely to become infected.

Astrocytes are the main gateway to the brain, responsible for shuttling nutrients from the bloodstream to the neurons while keeping harmful particles out. By resisting infection, astrocytes could help keep SARS-CoV-2 out of the brain, but once infected, they could easily pass the virus along to many neurons, according to researchers.

“While astrocytes display a higher resistance to infection, neurons seem to be more susceptible,” Dr. Costa said. “This suggests that only few astrocytes getting infected could be sufficient for the infection to quickly spread to neurons and multiply quickly.

These observations could explain why while some patients do not have any neurological symptoms, others seem to have severe ones.”

In the respiratory system, SARS-CoV-2 is known to infect a person’s cells by grabbing hold of proteins on the cell surface

Researchers Lead the Identification of New Biomarker for Alzheimers and Related Dementia A team of scientists and clinicians at LSU Health Shreveport, collaborating across the Center for Brain Health (CBH) and Center for Cardiovascular Diseases and Sciences (CCDS), had their groundbreaking findings on a new blood biomarker for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia published in the prestigious Alzheimer’s & Dementia, the journal of the Alzheimer’s Association. LSUHS faculty Elizabeth Disbrow, PhD, Associate Professor of Neurology and Director of the Center for Brain Health; Chris Kevil, PhD, Vice Chancellor for Research and Dean of the School of Graduate Studies; Steve Alexander, PhD, Professor of Molecular and Cellular Physiology; and Karen Stokes, PhD, Professor of Molecular and Cellular Physiology and Assistant Director of the CCDS, were joined by colleagues from the Vascular Medicine Institute at the University of Pittsburg Medical Center and the Department of Computer Science at Louisiana State University Shreveport on this research project.

There is growing appreciation for the important role cerebrovascular disease plays in the development of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD). The newly identified plasma biomarker for ADRD, hydrogen sulfide, is already a known biomarker for cardiovascular disease. The team used cutting-edge analytical biochemical methods developed at LSU Health Shreveport in the laboratory of Dr. Kevil to measure plasma hydrogen sulfide metabolites, MRI to evaluate indicators of microvascular disease, as well as cognitive testing

to determine biomarker performance. Hydrogen sulfide and its metabolites were clearly linked to ADRD, which had not been previously reported or shown. Furthermore, cognitive and microvascular disease indicators were also correlated with hydrogen sulfide levels. Overall hydrogen sulfide levels were the strongest indicator of ADRD and mediated the relationship between cognitive dysfunction and the amount of brain lesion. These findings clearly indicate that hydrogen sulfide is dysregulated in dementia, providing a potential biomarker for early diagnosis, disease progression and intervention in ARDS. Because the rise in the prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is becoming a national health crisis, identifying and treating its underlying causes is a critical health challenge. While amyloid “plaques” and Tau “tangles” play mechanistic roles in AD, cardiovascular complications are also significant risk factors for dementia. The current thinking is that cerebrovascular dysfunction occurs early in ADRD, and therefore may be an important early diagnostic marker and a fruitful therapeutic target, making this newly identified biomarker highly clinically significant.

This work was supported by an Institutional Development Award from the National Institutes of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under grant number 3P2012130701A1S1 and HL149264.

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RESEARCH WRAP NIH COBRE Grant Funds Establishment of Center for Applied Immunology and Pathological Processes LSU Health Shreveport was awarded a $10.5 million Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) grant by the National Institutes of Health. The five-year grant for a total of $10,529,128 will fund the establishment of a new Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) at LSUHS, the Center for Applied Immunology and Pathological Processes (CAIPP), which will focus on better understanding the immune system and how diseases upset effective functioning.

Andrew Yurochko, PhD, Professor and Vice Chair of Microbiology and Immunology, Carroll Feist Endowed Chair in Viral Oncology, and Director of the Center of Excellence for Emerging Viral Threats, is the Principal Investigator of the COBRE and Director of the CAIPP. Key senior faculty at LSUHS who played an essential role in the awarding of this application and who will continue to contribute to the center through their role as directors of the cores within the new center are:

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Rona Scott, PhD, Associate Professor and Mingyu Ding Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, will serve as Director of the Bioinformatics/Modeling Core of the CAIPP Matthew Woolard, PhD, Associate Professor and O’Callaghan Family Endowed Professor in Microbiology, will serve as Director of the Immunophenotyping Core of the CAIPP Martin Sapp, PhD, Department Chair and Professor of Microbiology and Immunology and Willis-Knighton Chair of Molecular Biology, will serve as Chair of the Junior Faculty Mentoring Committee of the CAIPP

Serving as the first of the key junior research faculty for the CAIPP are:

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Xiaohong Lu, PhD, Assistant Professor of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Neuroscience Ana Dragoi, PhD, Assistant Professor of Molecular and Cellular Physiology Monica Cartelle Gestal, PhD, Assistant Professor of Microbiology and Immunology

This new Center of Biomedical Research Excellence, the third at LSU Health Shreveport, will provide an interactive training and research environment for young investigators in the field of immunology, as well as allow them to receive the mentorship and guidance needed to increase their competitiveness for national funding. The goal of all COBRE grants is to grow, recruit, and retain new talent; expand existing research; and develop robust infrastructure that encourages statewide collaboration.

Harnessing the collective strengths of internal departments and schools around the state and region, the CAIPP will advance new insights and understanding for how the immune system functions. These proposed studies support the public health needs of Louisiana, where diseases associated with altered immune responsiveness take a significant toll on citizens, as well as financially on the state’s health care system. With understanding of the molecular and clinical basis for these diseases and the resulting immunopathologies, scientists hope to discover new and better ways to detect and treat these various diseases.

Research

BY THE

NUMBERS TOTAL Federal Grant Funding (FY20-21)

$18,800,000 326% increase in grant funding since FY15 8

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Technology Transfer

Total Licensing Income FY21 to date: $438,000 Total Licensing Income FY14-20: $6,875,864 Number of U.S. patents issued: 171 Number of International patents issued: 118 Ranked 2nd in the LSU System for tech transfer

6 Research Centers

Center of Excellence for Arthritis and Rheumatology (CEAR)* Feist-Weiller Cancer Center (FWCC)* Center for Cardiovascular Diseases and Sciences (CCDS)* Center for Brain Health (CBH) Center of Excellence for Emerging Viral Threats (CEVT)* Louisiana Addiction Research Center (LARC) * denotes Center of Excellence

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Office of Research Excellence Award Winners Research Excellence Awards Excellence in Extramural Funding Dr. Andrew Yurochko

Contributions to Community and COVID-19 Response Efforts Honored at Third Annual Research Celebration

Excellence in Translational Research Dr. Steven Conrad Dr. L. Keith Scott

LSU Health Shreveport leadership, faculty, staff, students, and community supporters gathered on April 29, 2021 for the third annual Research Celebration. In the past year, LSUHS has delivered a significant pandemic response tied directly to research, obtaining vital NIH and additional extramural funding, along with creating lifesaving medical devices and making breakthrough discoveries. Scientists, physicians, and community members were honored for their contributions and support of LSUHS with the Office of Research Excellence Awards.

Dr. Chris Kevil, Vice Chancellor for Research, also highlighted new projects and exciting developments on the horizon.

Excellence in Innovation Dr. Nick Goeders Dr. Christopher Schmoutz Scientific Research Impact Basic Science Dr. Jeremy Kamil, Dr. Rona Scott Clinical Science Dr. Angela Cornelius Community Champions

for their role in securing & facilitating the donation of the former CHRISTUS Schumpert property

Dr. G. E. Ghali Mr. Bill Comegys

Mr. Ray Lasseigne Mr. Matthew St. Amant

Collaborative Extramural Research Project Receives $2.4 Million Grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke A research team that includes Kevin Murnane, PhD, Associate Professor of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Neuroscience, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, and Director of Basic Science Research for Louisiana Addiction Research Center (LARC), was awarded a five-year, $2.4 million grant from the NIH’s National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). The grant will fund collaborative extramural research that brings together experts from LSU Health Shreveport, Emory University, Mercer University, and Morehouse School of Medicine. The research project titled “Exploring the Role of Oxytocin in the Regulation of Neuronal Excitability,” focuses on studying an epilepsy syndrome that occurs in children called Dravet syndrome.

Dravet syndrome occurs due to a mutation of a protein in the brain. It is characterized by recurrent early-life febrile seizures, severe epilepsy, and cognitive and behavioral deficits. The mortality rate for individuals with Dravet syndrome is 15-20 percent. Unfortunately, most conventional anti-epileptic drugs fail to adequately treat the broad range of severe seizures and behavioral problems in patients with Dravet syndrome and related disorders. Neuropeptides, such as oxytocin,

show great promise for controlling seizures and improving behavioral abnormalities; however, they do not readily cross the blood brain barrier (BBB) and therefore cannot be given by conventional routes of administration for brain disease. Poor brain penetrance is a critical barrier to the clinical application of these promising therapeutics. To overcome this challenge, this research team has developed and extensively validated a technology that uses tiny nanoscale particles to actively transport oxytocin into the brain.

In this newly funded research, scientists will examine whether oxytocin can curb spontaneous seizures, behavioral abnormalities, and neuronal hyperexcitability. This research will also pursue further development of the nanoparticle encapsulation strategy to facilitate the delivery of neuropeptides to the brain. Researchers also hope to determine the cellular and circuit mechanisms by which oxytocin increases seizure resistance. The long-term goals are to better understand the mechanisms by which neuropeptides regulate neuronal excitability and to develop safe and effective approaches for the brain delivery of neuropeptides for the treatment of epilepsy and other intractable brain disorders.

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School of Medicine

At medical schools nationwide, Match D a y c e re m o n i e s a re held in tandem on the third Friday in March.

The landmark event on March 19, 2021, was a career-defining moment for 1 12 LSU Health Shrevepor t School of Medicine students and their families, as they discovered the location of their match determining where they would spend the next three to seven years completing their graduate medical education. The exciting day was the culmination of years of educational dedication and months of interviews with clinical programs around the country—with most interactions having moved to virtual platforms due to the pandemic. When applying for residency programs, students rank their programs of interest, and institutions rank their choices of students to fill available residency slots. A computer algorithm then takes the ranking of the students and residency programs to “match” students with available residency slots. On Match Day, students opened the notification from the National Resident Matching Program of the Association of American Medical Colleges, or the NRMP®, to reveal if they matched with their desired residency program.

In the year with the largest NRMP on record resulting in more than 1,150 unmatched medical school graduates nationwide, 98 percent of LSUHS students successfully matched to residency programs. Of the 2021 graduates,

WHITE COAT

Second-year medical students in the LSUHS Class of 2023 received their white coats in an outdoor ceremony held on March 20, 2021. This rite of passage representing the transition from classroom to clinical matriculation was even more special as it was one of the first events to be held in person since COVID-19 restrictions were lifted. Shane Barton, MD, Professor and Chairman of Orthopaedic Surgery, and Thomas Norris MD Endowed Professor, was the guest speaker. In addition to white coat presentations, the Gold Humanism Honor Society inducted the newly selected recipients. The Gold Humanism Honor Society was established in 2002 by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation with the purpose of recognizing medical students, residents, and faculty who practice patient-centered care by modeling the qualities of excellence, compassion, altruism, respect, and empathy.

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24.2 percent stayed at LSU Health Shreveport for their residency w i t h 4 8 p e rc e n t of the class remaining in Louisiana — which is critical in addressing the significant shortfall of physicians needed to meet the state’s growing healthcare demands.

Those entering primary care residencies, including Internal Medicine, OB/ GYN, Pediatrics, Family Medicine, and Medicine-Pediatrics, made up 42.8 percent of those matched. LSUHS students matched at prestigious institutions around the country including George Washington University, Emory, University of Indiana, UCLA, Baylor Scott and White, and University of Alabama.

Dr. David Lewis, Dean of the School of Medicine said, “Our medical school did incredibly well in the Match with 98 precent of our 115 students matching. These results are significantly better than many medical schools across the nation, which reflects the commitment by our faculty to help each student achieve their personal best.”

LSU Health Shreveport School of Medicine successfully filled all 139 residency positions available. The new group of LSUHS residents were welcomed in July, when they began training at Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport Academic Medical Center, St. Mary Medical Center and Monroe Medical Center along with other clinical partners.

Diversity Affairs Updates PRIDE Celebration with Guest Speaker Dr. D. Ivan Young The LSUHS Office of Diversity Affairs was honored to have Dr. D. Ivan Young as the guest speaker for the Pride Month Celebration on June 17, 2021. The event w a s o rg a n i z e d to celebrate all the contributions of the LGBTQ+ community, while also cultivating a safe space within LSU Health Shreveport. Dr. Young is a two-time recipient of The President’s Lifetime Achievement Award, as well as a certified professional diversity coach.

Women’s Day Virtual Celebration with Guest Speaker Sophia Nelson This year, the Office of Diversity Affairs hosted the inaugural Women’s Month Celebration on March 11.

The keynote speaker was Sophia Nelson, CNN legal and political commentator. In addition to her appearances on major networks throughout the world, Ms. Nelson is also an Adjunct Professor of Philosophy and Religion at Christopher Newport University in Virginia and author of three best-selling books. After door prizes were awarded MOU Signing with Southern University A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) establishing a Guaranteed Interview Program between LSU Health Shreveport School of Medicine and Southern University and A&M College and Southern University at New Orleans was signed at Southern University on March 26.

The MOU represents the desire of both parties to increase the number of African American and Hispanic students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in Louisiana who apply to the LSU Health Shreveport School of Medicine. With the goal being that those students accepted for admission subsequently graduate from medical school.

The Guaranteed Interview Program certified that Southern University students who meet specified criteria included in the MOU will be invited to interview with the Admissions Committee of the LSU Health Shreveport School of Medicine.

and the keynote address was delivered, attendees of the virtual conference had the opportunity to have an intimate question-and-answer session with the influential speaker.

EID Celebration The 2nd annual celebration of Eid alFitr, also called the “Festival of Breaking the Fast,” was organized

by Dr. Sarwat Umer, Associate Professor of Medicine in the Center for Excellence in Arthritis and R h e u m a t o l o g y, i n partnership with the Of fice of Diversity Affairs. Eid is a religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide that marks the end of the monthlong dawnto-sunset fasting of Ramadan. Held in the Zadeck for LSUHS staff, faculty, students, and residents, the gathering was an opportunity to share a delicious meal and learn more about this notable cultural tradition.

“LSU Health Shreveport is honored to have the opp or tunit y to propel our message that every student is family in our learning communities. We are committed to increasing the percentage of African American and Hispanic students who apply, matriculate, and ultimately graduate from our institution,” said Dr. G.E. Ghali, Chancellor at the time, of the LSU Health Shreveport School of Medicine.

“Southern University welcomes this opportunity to partner with the LSU Health Shreveport School of Medicine to increase the number of African-American and Hispanic students entering medical school. This effort will serve to further encourage a viable pathway into medicine for deserving students of color while expanding a physician workforce that is more representative of the state and nation in terms of diversity,” said Dr. Ray L. Belton, president-chancellor, Southern University System.

Those signing the agreement were: LSU Health Shreveport Chancellor G.E. Ghali, DDS, MD; Southern University and A&M College Chancellor Ray L. Belton, PhD; Southern University at New Orleans Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs David Adeboyge, PhD; Dean of the School of Medicine at LSU Health Shreveport, David Lewis, MD; and Chair of Admission for the LSU Health Shreveport School of Medicine Shane Barton, MD. Additional university representatives in attendance were: Assistant Vice Chancellor of Diversity Affairs Toni Thibeaux, EdD, MPH, CIS; Assistant Dean of Admissions and Vice Chancellor for External Affairs Markey Pierre, DBA; and representing Southern University, Vice President for External Affairs Robyn Merrick, PhD.

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New Masters of Science program LSU Health Shreveport’s School of Graduate Studies now offers a non-thesis Master of Science degree program in Medical Sciences. This program supports the academic success of students wishing to attend post-baccalaureate medical professional schools but who may need additional education and experience to become well-prepared learners and successful applicants.

In the Medical Sciences MS Program, students will take gross anatomy with a full cadaver lab, alongside Allied Health Professions students. Basic science and organ-system based didactic courses will be taught by School of Graduate Studies faculty who teach similar lectures to School of Medicine students.

In the Experiential Medical Sciences Course, specifically designed for the Medical Sciences MS Program, students will participate in small-group clinical correlation exercises, join in journal club discussions of recent high-impact biomedical research publications, and attend professional development sessions.

Additionally, students will shadow LSUHS clinical faculty and attend clinically-oriented seminars and grand rounds on campus. To learn more about this program, visit www.lsuhs.edu/ ms-medical-sciences.

Residents, Fellows Present Work at GME Poster Session The LSU Health Shreveport Office of Graduate Medical Education hosted the 6th Annual Regional Poster Presentation for Residents and Fellows on May 21, 2021.

The event showcased over 80 diverse submissions on topics ranging from patient safety and quality improvement to patient case reports and complex projects exploring gene sequencing. Since the previous year’s presentations were made virtually, training residents and fellows were excited for the opportunity to debut research findings and intensive work done throughout the pandemic.

All poster submissions are available to view at www.lsuhs. edu/gme.

The following award recipients were selected by a panel of judges including Dr. Surender Arora, Dr. Teri O’Neil, Dr. Warren Orr, Dr. David Rhodes, and Dr. Diana Veillon: 1st Place: Brooks Lowery, PGY 4, Surgery: Outcomes of Reduction Mammoplasty in Obese Patients

Graduate Research Day The School of Graduate Studies Graduate Student Council hosted the annual Graduate Research Day on May 7, 2021.

This event allows faculty, graduate students, and post-doctorate fellows to share research and network.

Students had the opportunity to present their research to faculty throua poster presentations and individual talks. This year’s keynote speaker was Dr. Errin C. Rider, Associate Director of Clinical Laboratory Services at Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene.

2021 AWARDS WINNERS ABSTRACT BOOK COVER IMAGE Sarah Soorya, Dept. of Microbiology & Immunology ORAL PRESENTATIONS Luke White, Dept. of Molecular & Cellular Physiology SENIOR DIVISION POSTER PRESENTATION 1st Place: MD Imtiaz Khalil, Dept. of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology 2nd Place: Christina H. Acosta, Dept. of Cellular Biology & Anatomy JUNIOR DIVISION POSTER PRESENTATION 1st Place: Ashley A. Wilkins, Dept. of Microbiology & Immunology 2nd Place: Naznin Sultana Remex, Dept. of Molecular & Cellular Physiology POST-DOCTORAL FELLOW POSTER PRESENTATION Dongdong Wang, Dept. of Pathology & Pathobiology

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2nd Place: Udhayvir Grewal, PGY 1, Internal Medicine: A Unique Gene Signature Predictive of Survival in Patients with Lung Adenocarcinoma 3rd Place: Javaria Ahmad, PGY 3, Internal Medicine: Anti-cancer Drugs Associated Atrial Fibrillation-A Pharmacovigilance Analysis 3rd Place: Brian Manzi, PGY 5, Otolaryngology: Improving HPV Vaccination Rates Through Discussion of Oncologic Benefits

Residency & Fellowship Programs Facilitate Training for 598 Physicians The Office of Graduate Medical Education serves as the central contact point for all residents and fellows in training at LSU Health Shreveport. The institution offers 43 fully accredited residency and fellowship programs with 598 residents and fellows currently in training. Residency is the training physicians must complete to practice or specialize following medical school. A resident is a physician (who holds the degree of MD, DDS or DO) in a Graduate Medical Education program training under the direct or indirect supervision of an attending physician.

A fellowship is the period of sub-specialty medical training that a physician or dentist may undertake after completing a residency. This year, 133 medical professionals completed their residency or fellowship training at LSUHS, with 13 joining the faculty. Of those who completed their residency, 11 remained at LSUHS to receive more in-depth training in a fellowship program. In July, 177 new residents and fellows were welcomed to the campus. This diverse group of physicians traveled from more than 27 states and 29 countries to train in Shreveport.

TO ALL OUR SPONSORS View the complete list of sponsors at www.lsuhsfoundation.org/healerssponsors

The LSU Health Sciences Foundation hosted its signature fundraising event, An Evening for Healers, on Sept. 9, 2021. This year marked the 10th anniversary of the annual gala that raises unrestricted funds for LSU Health Shreveport while honoring heroic first responders and healthcare professionals. With 2021 Event Chair Waynette Ballengee emceeing the event, attendees were the first to view the dramatic documentaries on three patients ­— Steven Jared Jones, Braylee Davis, and Dr. William Whyte. Their stories of healing and hope offered firsthand accounts of the impact the LSUHS academic medical center has on the region while spotlighting the expertise, skill, and compassion of first responders and healthcare workers at Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport.

Over the past 10 years, An Evening for Healers has shared 22 inspiring patient stories, honored more than 700 first responders, physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals, and raised over $2.5 million for LSU Health Shreveport in its mission to deliver expert patient care, conduct transformational research, and provide world-class educational opportunities. Sponsorships and funds raised have benefitted faculty recruitment, student-led research, facility enhancements, and equipment and technology upgrades.

“We are grateful to Ochsner Health for their continued support as our Presenting Sponsor and for the generosity of over 100 sponsors who donated nearly $700,000, making this year’s An Evening for Healers a record-breaking year,” Kevin Flood, President and CEO of the LSU Health Sciences Foundation, said. “This evening was long overdue, and we are thankful for the opportunity to finally gather together to celebrate and honor our heroes and healers.” Due to the ongoing pandemic, the event was canceled in 2020 and later postponed in 2021.

During the event, Dr. Chris Kevil, Vice Chancellor for Research at LSU Health Shreveport, made a special presentation honoring members of the Center of Excellence for Emerging Viral Threats for their efforts in combating COVID-19 across the region, state, and nation.

To view the virtual program and patient stories or to learn more about An Evening for Healers, visit www.lsuhsfoundation.org/healers.

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HONORS & APPOINTMENTS S p o r t s M e d i c i n e p hy s i c i a n s w e re recognized by Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser at the annual hospitality awards hosted by the Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau. Representing LSUHS at the awards ceremony were Dr. Peter Seidenberg, Chair of Family Medicine, and Dr. Charles Webb, Director of Sports Medicine Division. LSU Health Shreveport was recognized as Healthcare Provider of the Year.

LSUHS School of Allied Health Professions was recognized by the Foundation for Physical Therapy Research with the Marquette Challenge Award of Merit for raising over $8,000 which will go toward physical therapy research.

The Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care awarded the LSUHS Respiratory Therapy/Cardiopulmonary Science Program with the 2021 Distinguished RRT Credentialing Success Award CoARC Award that denotes the measure of a program’s success through rigorous criteria which include a credentialing success of 90% and to have met or exceeded CoARC thresholds for TMC high cut score and retention.

The following Family Practice residents in Alexandria were recognized by the Regional Medical Director for the Region 6 Louisiana Office of Public Health for their extraordinary efforts during Hurricane Ida. These residents treated 899 patients at the Alexandria Megashelter over a 32-day period, with 100 of those patients being seen in a 24-hour period. These individuals were praised for their steady, personable, and competent efforts which resulted in outstanding patient care.

Dr. Ashley Billings Dr. Kayelinda Heiner Dr. Ronak Shah Dr. Brianna Shaffer Dr. Cade Burns Dr. Stephen Finney Dr. James Shute Dr. Lois Buller Dr. Bethany Citerella Erin Yates, RN, BSN has been selected as the Director of the Clinical Trials Office. She is responsible for reviewing federal and state laws, regulations, institutional polices, and guidelines used to provide guidance to faculty, Principal Investigators, and research staff to ensure institutional compliance of human subject laws.

John Vanchiere, MD, PhD, Professor of Pediatrics, Chief of Division of Infectious Disease, Director of COVID-19 Community Testing and Vaccinations, and Principal Investigator of Pfizer COVID-19 Clinical Trial, was appointed to serve as the Medical Director for the Clinical Trials Office. In his new role, Dr. Vanchiere will provide medical support for all clinical trials conducted by LSU Health Shreveport. He will be instrumental in the design and implementation of investigator-initiated clinical trials, determining feasibility of proposed clinical trials and ensuring that clinical trials are in accordance with federal, state, or local laws, and provide input in all federal and state audits of clinical research.

Amber N. Edinoff, MD, PGY-3 Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, was awarded the Outstanding Graduate Medical Education Resident Research Award by Provost Dr. Alan Kaye. Dr. Edinoff was selected for her outstanding research contributions, having worked on over 40 papers in the past year on topics 14

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including, psychiatry, pain, and pharmacology and contributed as a Guest Editor for a special issue on Schizophrenia in Neurology International. Dr. Edinoff was also awarded First Pplace in the Case Report Category at the Louisiana Psychiatric Medical Association Meeting in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on Feb.27, 2021.

Cynthia Peterson, PhD, alumna and current LSU College of Science Dean, was named Special Advisor on Scien ce by L SU President William F. Ta te. D r.

Peterson received her PhD in biochemistry from LSU H e a l t h S h r e v e p o r t S c h o o l o f G r a d u a t e St u d i e s .

Nicholas Goeders, PhD, Chairman of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Neuroscience, Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine and Executive Director of Louisiana Addiction Research Center, was appointed to the JanOne Scientific Advisory Board.

Vijayakumar Javalkar, MD, MCh, Assistant Professor of Neurology and Associate Program Director of Neurology Residency Program, was named the Castle Connolly Regional Top Doctor 2021. The elite designation is based on superior ability to achieve the best possible health outcomes.

R. Keith White, MD, FACS was announced as Chief Medical Officer of Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport-Academic Medical Center (hospital).

Dr. White joined the Ochsner LSU Health team in 2018 and was previously Chief Medical Director for Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery at St. Francis Medical Center in Monroe. He is Professor and Chairman of the Department of Surgery for LSU Health Shreveport and holds the John C. McDonald MD Endowed Chair of Surgery.

Dr. White was appointed by Gov. John Bel Edwards to the Louisiana Emergency Response Network (LERN) Board. Dr. White was also elected Secretary of the Louisiana Chapter of the American College of Surgeons.

Navdeep Samra, MD, FICS, FACS, Associate Professor of Surgery and General Surgery Residency Program Director, was appointed to serve as a member of the Louisiana, District 2, Committee on Applicants of the American College of Surgeons for a three-year term. Dr. Samra was also elected as the October 2020 Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport Provider of the Month.

Rohit Ranganath, MD, Assistant Professor of Neurology, received the 2020 Young Fellows Association Award at the Louisiana Chapter of American College of Surgeons meeting.

John R. Mercke, MD, PGY-3 Family Medicine Resident in Alexandria, received the 2021 Louisiana Academy of Family Physician’s Foundation Resident Award of Excellence.

During residency training he served as Resident Wellness Coordinator and Resident Representative for Rapides Regional Medical Center’s Residency Advisory Council.

Wanda Thomas, MD, FAAP, Assistant Dean of School of Medicine Admissions and Associate Professor of Pediatrics was announced as one of the two new members of the seven-member Board of Directors for the Community Foundation of North Louisiana.

E.J. Mayeaux Jr., MD, DABFM, FAAFP, DABPMCI, Professor of Family Medicine, Associate Vice Chancellor for Clinical Affairs and Senior Associate Dean for Population Health and Primary Care, was presented an Award of Merit by the ASCCP Board of Directors for being a Program Director, a faculty member, and an editor for the Online Comprehensive Colposcopy Course. Dr. Mayeaux, along with select other past presidents of the society, developed and implemented the online course.

A. Wayne Orr, PhD, Direc tor, Center for Cardiovascular Diseases and Sciences, Professor and Director, Division of Research, Department of Pathology and Translational Pathobiology, was appointed as Associate Editor for the American Journal of Pathology beginning Jan.1, 2021.

Ryan Mackay, MD-PhD Student, was awarded a F30 Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award from the National Institute of Health. Ryan is the first student at LSU Health Shreveport to receive this prestigious award. He is investigating induction of DNA damage and angiogenic processes as targets for anaplastic thyroid cancer treatment in Dr. Christopher Pattillo’s Laboratory in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology.

Racheal Peterson, PGY-5 Neurosurgery Resident, won the John Jackson Resident Award for her talk “Gadolinium retention in patients undergoing routine postoperative surveillance for pituitary adenomas.”

Christina Notarianni, MD, FAANS, Professor of Neurosurgery, Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery, and Residency Program Director, was selected as the Louisiana Neurosurgical Society delegate for the Council of State Neurosurgical Societies (CSNS).

Dr. Anthony Sin, MD, FAANS, Professor and Vice Chairman of Neurosurgery and Director of Complex Spinal Disorders, was elected as the next Secretary and Treasurer of the Louisiana Neurosurgical Society (LANS). He will serve in this role for the next two years.

Dr. Sarah Thayer, MD, PhD, FACS was selected as the Director of Feist-Weiller Cancer Center effective Feb. 1, 2021. Dr. Thayer’s role as Director includes both a clinical leadership role with Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport and a research and medical education leadership role with LSU Health Shreveport. She actively practices as a pancreatic and breast cancer surgeon and an NCI-funded investigator with research focused on the initiation, progression, and regulation of pancreatic cancer. Prior to joining the University of Nebraska Medical Center, she spent 13 years at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School.

Most recently, she completed coursework at the Harvard Business School focusing on Managing Health Care Delivery.

ALPHA ETA SOCIETY

The Alpha Eta Society is a national scholastic honor society that serves to promote and recognize significant scholarship, leadership, and contributions to the Allied Health Professions. Students have been nominated by their respective program faculty based on scholastic and leadership abilities reflected in their chosen professions. Faculty nominees are chosen by the Alpha Eta Advisory Committee.

STUDENT NOMINEES Allison DeLatin Jonathon Tyler Bloxom Ernesto Antonio Peña Tejeda Bayleigh Elizabeth Anders Mary Catherine Bergeron Naomi Hill Peters Haley McKenzie Hoffer Sarah Ann Jolly Grace Elizabeth Monger Anna Catherine Ortego Erin Elizabeth Picou Brooke Durr Brown Lauren Kay Potts

Robyn Denise Bradley Emily Grace Burley, CKTP Hallie Dodge, CKTP Madison Edmonston Elena DiMattia Alyssa Jackson Dyer Dominic Michael Engolia Kellie Gotangco Lindsey Mouton Jacqueline DiLane Rushford Sadie Lane West

FACULTY NOMINEE 2020 Elizabeth Guice, PhD, LMFT FACULTY NOMINEE 2021 Heather Anderson, EdD, CCC-SLP

ALPHA OMEGA ALPHA Alpha Omega Alpha is a national medical honor society comprised of over 4,000 students, residents/fellows, faculty, and alumni.

The criteria for nomination includes, but is not limited to, scholastic achievement which refers to excellence in physicianship, demonstrated professionalism, leadership capabilities, adherence to ethical standards, fairness in dealing with colleagues, achievement in medicine and/or research, and a record of service to school and community.

CLASS of 2022 FALL INDUCTEES Ben Becnel Kyle Boudreaux Blaine Bulloch Nicholas Callais Hannah Hansen Patrick Ingraffia Christian Karam Linh Nguyen

Mackenzie Noonan Kelsey Rooney Bryce Rushing Caroline Sagrera Robert Spraggins Samantha St. Pierre Winston Suh Katie Trettin

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HONORS & APPOINTMENTS Steven Conrad, MD, PhD, MS, MSE, MBA, MSST, MSc, Professor of Medicine, Emergency Medicine, Pediatrics, and Anesthesiology, received the 2020 Outstanding Alumni of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. An Ike Muslow Endowed Chair, Dr. Conrad was honored by leadership, family, and colleagues in a reception on Sat. May 15.

Celeste Yin Chieh Wu, PhD, postgraduate fellow in Neurology, was awarded with the American Heart Career Development Award. Dr. Wu will be the principal investigator (PI) of a $231,000 award funding investigation on the role of enzyme catalysts in age-induced vascular dementia.

Cherie-Ann Nathan, MD, FACS, Jack Pou Endowed Prof. & Chairman of the Dept. of Otolaryngology, Director of Head and Neck Surgical Oncology Feist-Weiller Cancer Center was elected to the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Board of Governors. The members of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Board of Governors (B/G) serve as an official, direct communications link between the Board of Regents (B/R) and the Fellows.

Dr. Nathan was elected to the Board of Governors of the American Surgical Society for an initial three-year term ending at the conclusion of the 2023 Clinical Congress.

Dr. Nathan was appointed the At-Large Academic Director for a four-year term with the American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery.

Dr. Nathan was recognized by the American Head and Neck Society as the 2020 Winner of the Margaret Butler Outstanding Mentor of Women in Head and Neck Surgery.

This award recognizes individuals with significant impact and measurable outcomes in the mentorship of women in head and neck surgery. Dr. Nathan was honored at the AHNS International Conference on Head and Neck Cancer in July.

Marie Vazquez Morgan, PT, PhD, Clinical Associate Professor of Physical Therapy was appointed to lead the newly instituted LSUHS Wellness Program as the Assistant Vice Chancellor of Institutional Wellness.

Dr. Morgan received $36,525 in grant funding from the LWCC Foundation for LSU Health Shreveport to support the Eat Right and Move program.

Susanne Tinsley, PT, PhD, Assistant Dean in the School of Allied Health Professions, Associate Professor of Physical Therapy, and Board-Certified Specialist in Neurologic Physical Therapy was appointed Assistant Vice Chancellor of Institutional Advancement.

Lynn Harrison, PhD, Professor of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, was the recipient of the 2021 Allen A. Copping Excellence in Teaching Award for Basic Science. The Allen A. Copping Excellence in Teaching Award is given out each year to faculty who exemplify not only outstanding teaching, but also leadership and mentoring skills. Recipients are nominated and selected by students and peers.

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James D. Morris, MD, FACG, FACP, AGAF, Associate Professor of Gastroenterology and Program Director for the Gastroenterology Residency, was awarded the Allen A. Copping, DDS Excellence in Teaching Award for Clinical Medicine.

Mansoureh Barzegar, PhD, graduate assistant in the Alexander Laboratory in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, is the recipient of the 2021 Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Graduate Studies. The Chancellor’s Award is presented annually to an outstanding graduating student as demonstrated by the quality of the dissertation and related research efforts. Dr. Barzegar will continue her training as a Post-doctoral Fellow in the Physiology Department.

Erin Ware, MLIS, Reference Librarian for the Health Sciences Library, was selected Chair-Elect of the Subject Specialists Section of the Louisiana Library Association and will serve in this role through June 2022.

Stephan N. Witt, PhD, FCSSI, Chairman of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, was invited to be a reviewer for the June 24-25th NIH study section meeting: Cellular and Molecular Biology of Neurodegeneration (CMND).

A r r i g o D e B e n e d e t t i , P h D, P ro fe s s o r o f Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, received the Spring 2021 Feist-Weiller Cancer Center (FWCC) Bridge Award in the amount of $100,000 on the grant titled: TLK1-MK5 Signaling Axis in Prostate Cancer Cell Motility and Invasion.

Po o j a J e th a n i , O T D, L O T R , C l i n i c a l Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy, was selec ted as the recipient of the 2021 Integrative Rehabilitation Research Mentoring & Career Development Fellowship from the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine.

Harish Siddaiah, MD, Associate Professor of Anesthesiology, was appointed to be an examiner for the APPLIED exams for the American Board of Anesthesiology.

Sudha Pandit, MD, Associate Program Director and Assistant Professor of Gastroenterology, was appointed to the American College of Gastroenterology Women in GI Committee.

Andrew Yurochko, PhD, Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, Director and PI of CAIPP, and Associate Director of Research for Feist-Weiller Cancer Center, was selected by LSU System President William Tate IV to serve on the LSU Health and Medical Advisory Committee. The Committee is a group of experts in medicine, epidemiology, virology, and environmental engineering tasked with ensuring the administration has the most current information needed to make decisions that keep members of our LSU family safe.

Richard Mansour, MD, Professor of Medicine and Program Director of Hematology /Oncology Fellowship, and Tamna Wangjam, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor at Feist-Weiller Cancer Center, were honored by the American Cancer Society at the 2021 White Out Cancer Gala. Honorees are professionals in the NWLA area that are recognized for their distinguished talents and achievements.

Samuel Igbinedion, MD, PGY-6, and Anush Vasikaran, MD, PGY-6, Gastroenterology and Hepatology Fellows, received an advanced endoscopy fellowship match. Dr. Igbinedion matched at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, MA. Dr. Vasikaran matched at GI Associates, LLC in Milwaukee, WI. Shelvia Grant, JD, Project Coordinator of Administration and Finance, and Jessica Latin, MA, LPC-S, NCC, PMH-C, Gratis Clinical Instructor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, were honored by the Greater Shreveport Chamber’s Young Professionals Initiative as members of “40 Under Forty” 2021 Class.

Hugo Cuellar, MD, PhD, MBA, DABR, FAHA, Chairman and Professor of Radiology, Neurosurgery and Neurology,was elected as a Fellow of the American Heart Association (FAHA), which recognizes scientific and professional accomplishments, volunteer leadership, and service to AHA. Spring 2021 FAHAs were announced at the International Stroke Conference.

Terry C. Davis, PhD, Division Chief of Healthcare Disparities and Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics, was appointed to the National Institute for Nursing Research (NINR) Strategic Planning Group to propose research agenda.

Wayne Nix, MBA, was named Chief Innovation Officer of Research. Mr. Nix is an experienced entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in healthcare, business development and management. He has also led many team innovation strategies while providing mentorship for new entrepreneurs. Most recently, Mr. Nix served as the Innovation Program Director for Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System, where he developed a program for the organization to coordinate and accelerate current and future innovation initiatives.

Will Olmstadt, MSLS, MPH, AHIP, Executive Director of the Library, was approved as a professional member of Beta Phi Mu, the international library and information studies honor society.

Martin Sapp, PhD, Chairman of Microbiology and Immunology and Willis-Knighton Chair of Molecular Biology, was invited to serve as Chair of the Virus Entry and Trafficking Session of th e 34th I ntern ational Pap illom a v iru s Conference being held vir tually Nov. 15-19.

Ashton Jorgensen, Graduate Studies student in the Lin Lab, was awarded the Malcom Feist Predoctoral Fellowship for her grant proposal titled “The Effects o f N e u ro g ra n i n o n E n d o t h e l i a l A c t i v a t i o n .”

Rob Schilke, Graduate Studies student in the Woolard Lab, was awarded an Ike Muslow Predoctoral Fellowship for his grant proposal titled “Macrophage-associated lipin-1 regulates B-oxidation to promote continuing efferocytosis.”

Krista Queen, PhD, was appointed to the position of Director of Viral Genomics and Surveillance.

Dr. Queen, a 2012 alumna of the LSUHS School of Graduate Studies, returns to us having most recently served as a microbiologist on the Genomics and Discovery Team, Respiratory Viruses Branch, DVD/NCIRD at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta.

O’Callahan Last Lecture On Tuesday, Jan 12, Dr. Dennis O’Callaghan gave his last micro lecture wrapping up 57 distinguished years of sharing his knowledge and love of teaching with thousands of students at LSU Health Shreveport. The class surprised him by presenting him with flowers with the Office of Communications capturing this historic occasion with photos.

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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Haley Arceneaux She beat childhood cancer at age 10, gained admission into the highly competitive PA Program at LSU Health Shreveport and now she’s the youngest American (and likely the first Cajun) in space.

At 29 years old, Hayley Arceneaux, a physician assistant at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, had hoped this would be the year that she would complete her aim of visiting all seven continents, but those plans changed when she got the call to go to OUTER SPACE. This call was far more than a chance to go to space as the mission would also raise funds for her beloved St. Jude.

“It’s an incredible honor to join the Inspiration4 crew,” Hayley said. “This seat represents the hope that St. Jude gave me and continues to give families from around the world, who, like me, find hope when they walk through the doors of St. Jude.”

While on Inspiration4, Hayley rode in the seat representing the mission pillar of Hope. It’s one of two seats, of the four total, dedicated to St. Jude. “I can’t say enough about the commander of the mission, Jared Isaacman, the founder and CEO of Shift4 Payments, who’s an accomplished pilot in his own right, as well as a generous, down-to-earth leader,” Hayley said.

Hayley was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, bone cancer, shortly after a after a family vacation to NASA, where she fell in love with space and the wonders of exploration. She remembers pretending to be angry when she arrived at St. Jude for treatment at age 10, but she later acknowledged that she was just so scared. “At the time, cancer seemed like a death sentence because everyone I had known who had it passed away.”

As soon Hayley entered the doors of St. Jude, however, she noted that everything changed. She felt hope and a deep sense of optimism that she could get through treatment. That treatment included implanting metal rods in the bones of her left leg.

“That’s why I’m so grateful to be a part of Inspiration4, the world’s first all-civilian mission to space with a mission to support St. Jude, the amazing place that saved my life, and where I’ve returned to work in my dream job as a physician assistant,” Hayley said.

Students and faculty at the School of Allied Health Professions held a watch party for the SpaceX launch on September 15.

McKenzie LeBlanc, a Physical Therapy student who was a

childhood friend of Hayley’s, shared, “It didn’t surprise me at all when I heard Hayley was going to space. She has always been so amazing. I remember when I was in kindergarten, I brought Haley to show-and-tell because I was just so proud of my friend for being so strong during her cancer battle. She makes me want to become a better health care provider and a physical therapist.”

McKenzie also recalled that as children she and Hayley collected Coke tabs to raise money for St. Jude. “It’s so crazy to think that now, at 29 years old, she’s raising $200,000 million for St. Jude research,” McKenzie said.

Lindsey Ferrington, a Physician Assistant Program Clinical Coordinator and Clinical Assistant Professor who taught Arceneaux at LSUHS, shared, “I feel like it is limitless what Hayley can do, and that inspires me to do more to get out of my own comfort zone.” Hayley was also recognized

by Physician Assistant Program Clinical Assistant Professor Rebecca Clawson as a motivated student who had an energy and a zest about her that lifted up everyone around her. She also noted that Hayley was bringing hope to Louisiana after the devastation wrought by Hurricane Ida. It seems that everywhere Hayley goes, hope follows.

Feist-Weiller Cancer Center is proud to be home to one of only eight St. Jude Affiliate Clinics.

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ALUMNI NOTES Hemangani Dhaibar, PhD

School of Graduate Studies, Class of 2020 Dr. Hemangani Dhaibar is currently a post-doctoral fellow in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology.

Dr. Dhaibar’s recent publication in the Journal of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, “Kv1.1 subunits localize to cardiorespiratory brain networks in mice where their absence induces astrogliosis and microgliosis,” clearly proved the importance of channels in the respiratory controlling regions One of the images from Dr. Darbar’s submission was also featured on the cover of the journal (Volume 113, June 2021).

James Kleinedler, PhD

School of Graduate Studies, Class of 2012 Dr. James Kleinedler graduated from LSU Health Shreveport in 2012 with a PhD in Toxicology. Presently, Dr. Kleinedler is a Fellow in Regulatory Affairs at Boston Scientific (BSC), where he develops and implements global regulatory strategies for emerging interventional cardiology technology. Prior to joining BSC, Dr. Kleinedler was a reviewer in the FDA’s Office of Device Evaluation, where he managed the premarket review of Class II/ III cardiovascular devices. Dr. Kleinedler is the author of 10 peerreviewed publications and an inventor on six patents related to medical devices. Dr. Kleinedler was invited to speak to LSUHS post-doctoral fellows and graduate students and presented a talk, “Putting the ‘PhD’ to Work: Sharing my Experience across Industry and Government,” on June 4, 2021 via Zoom.

Heather Fulkerson, PhD and Sadie Rice, PhD

School of Graduate Studies, Class of 2021 Dr. Heather Fulkerson and Dr. Sadie Rice, both recent PhD graduates of the LSUHS Department of Microbiology and Immunology, chose to make science fun and accessible for all ages. The two scientists wrote, illustrated and published the children’s book: Microbiology for Kids: From A to Z. The microbiology-themed alphabet book is designed to introduce young learners to the fascinating world of microbes. The book uses kid-friendly sentences and engaging illustrations to help children of all ages foster a greater understanding of scientific concepts. The children’s book is available for purchase and review on Amazon. For questions and comments regarding the book, the authors can be reached by email at fulkersonandrice@gmail.com.

Randy Richter, MD

School of Medicine, Class of 1984 Dr. Randy Richter was recognized as the first “Everyday Hero” of 2021. KTBS and its sponsors decided to surprise Dr. Richter and presented him with the award at his home on February 10, 2021. Dr. Richter built a distinguished career in the medical field spanning over 37 years. He has saved countless lives and educated many of the top physicians coming out of the LSU Health Shreveport School of Medicine. “I have been able to play a part in the lives of a lot of people in a lot of different venues and really it’s been a blessing to be able to do that,” Richter said. Sadly, Dr. Richter succumbed to his battle with terminal cancer on May 3, 2021. Despite the sad news of his passing, LSUHS continues to celebrate his passion for medicine and the legacy that he leaves behind.

Lindsay S. Ferrington, EdD, MS, PA-C

School of Allied Health Professions, Class of 2005 Dr. Lindsay Ferrington, originally from Sicily Island, La. earned a Master of Physician Assistant Studies from LSU Health Shreveport School of Allied Health Professions in 2005. Most recently, she earned a Doctor of Education in Leadership Studies in 2019 from LSU Shreveport. Dr. Ferrington joined the PA Program faculty at LSUHS in 2010 and has served as the Clinical Coordinator since 2014. In her current position, she works with healthcare providers across the state to place students on clinical rotations in areas of medicine such as primary care, emergency medicine, psychiatry, and OBGYN, among many others. Prior to entering academia, Lindsay practiced as a Physician Assistant in urology and primary care. Lindsay has more than ten years of experience in addiction medicine.

Lindsay particularly enjoys organizing and engaging with the PA students in community service activities in the Shreveport area.

Benjamin Brown, MD

Neurosurgery Residency Program, Class of 2013 D r. B e n j a m i n B ro w n c o m p l e te d t h e L S U H e a l t h S h r e v e p o r t N e u r o s u r g e r y R e s i d e n c y Tr a i n i n g Program in 2013. Af ter graduation, he complete d a cerebrovascular and endovascular fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida. Today, he practices neurosurgery at Ochsner Health Neuroscience Institute in Covington, Louisiana.

Jai Deep Thakur, MD

Neurosurgery Residency Program, Class of 2019 Dr. Jai Deep Thakur, completed the LSU Health Shreveport Neurosurgery Residency Training Program in 2019. After his residency, he went on to complete a fellowship in Minimally Invasive Cranial and Skull Base Neurosurgery at the Pacific Neuroscience Institute - John Wayne Cancer Institute in Santa Monica, California. Today, he is an attending physician at USA Health University Hospital in Mobile, Alabama.

Rebecca Durr Butler, MCD, CCC-SLP

School of Allied Health Professions, Class of 2018 Rebecca Durr Butler is a Shreveport native who received her Master of Communication Disorders degree from LSU Health Shreveport in 2018. Rebecca was an inpatient and outpatient speech therapist at Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport before transitioning to join the faculty at LSU Health Shreveport in April of 2020. She now works in the Children’s Center and Rehab Faculty Clinic at the LSUHS School of Allied Health Professions to provide evaluations and treatments for children and adults with speech, language, cognition, and swallowing disorders. Her primary areas of focus include providing treatment to children with autism spectrum disorder, cleft palate, and feeding disorders. She also works as a speech therapist for Early Steps of Louisiana, where she provides speech therapy for children ages 0-3 in the child’s natural environment. Her favorite thing about being a speech therapist is helping children learn how to communicate their wants and needs, whether through words, signs, or augmentative and alternative communication methods.

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in Memoriam John Haynes Jr., MD

John Haynes Jr., MD, a renowned rural family physician, surgeon and community leader in northwest Louisiana and northeast Texas, passed away June 7, 2021, after a long battle with cardiovascular disease. Johnny, or “Doc” as referred to by those closest to him, worked at his father’s service station as a young boy and went on to teach at Byrd High School in Shreveport. Following his teaching career, he attended medical school at University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas and completed his residency training in Family Medicine at John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth, Texas. He began his medical practice in Vivian, Louisiana, in 1966 and became Chief of Staff at North Caddo Memorial Hospital, where he was a leader for quality healthcare for the region for more than 50 years. A founding member of the American Board of Family Medicine, he was known for his passion for full-service rural healthcare and his compassionate bedside manner.

Dr. Haynes was an LSU Health Shreveport School of Medicine faculty member in the Department of Family Medicine. In 1993, he founded LSU Health Shreveport’s Rural Family Practice Fellowship and Residency in conjunction with Willis-Knighton Health System. He was the inaugural recipient of the National Country Doctor of the Year Award in 1993 in recognition of his outstanding contributions to rural healthcare. Dr. Haynes was also honored as the Louisiana Family Practitioner of the Year in 1998 and 2004, as well as the Louisiana Rural Practitioner of the Year in 1998 and 2009.

Bruce Cleveland Henderson, MD

Bruce Cleveland Henderson, MD, 67, passed away on Oct. 6, 2021, due to complications of esophageal cancer. After his cancer diagnosis, Dr. Henderson never slowed down at work, and he surprised everyone but himself by maintaining his normal clinic and surgery schedule until just three weeks before his death.

Dr. Henderson was born and raised in Shreveport. As a National Merit Scholar, Bruce attended Southern Methodist University, graduating summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in political science in 1976. He married Betty Heuer the same year before returning to Shreveport for medical school. He finished in the top of his medical school class, completed an ophthalmology residency in Shreveport and a glaucoma fellowship at Emory in Atlanta. In 1986, he joined Ophthalmology Associates in Shreveport, where he provided glaucoma care for thousands for 35 years. He restored sight to hundreds more during mission trips to Haiti and Mexico. Dr. Henderson is survived by his wife Betty, four children, and seven grandchildren.

Carrie Lafitte Baker

Carrie Lafitte Baker transitioned from this life on Jan. 30, 2021, at age 70. She was an LSU Health Shreveport employee who worked in the Human Resources Department. Carrie was born in Shreveport on January 19, 1951. She will be remembered as a loving wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend.

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Matthew Rushing, DPT

Matthew Wade Rushing, age 27, of Keithville, Louisiana, passed away on June 3, 2021. Matthew was born July 9, 1993, in Shreveport to Joni and Robert Rushing. He graduated from Byrd High School in 2011. While in college at Louisiana Tech University, he reacquainted with an old friend, Katie Johnson, and they married in 2016. Matt attended graduate school at LSU Health Shreveport School of Allied Health Professions and received his Doctor of Physical Therapy degree in 2018.

Matt worked as a Physical Therapist at several facilities in the Shreveport-Bossier area, including The Therapy Center and Willis-Knighton.

Matt strived to be a witness for Christ to others, living life to the fullest and never taking a day for granted.He was an adventurous outdoorsman that had begun to share that love with his 1-year-old boys, Gunner and Gauge. LSU Health Shreveport leadership has opened an account at Campus Federal Credit Union to provide financial support for the Rushings’ young sons. Donations may be made “for the benefit of Katie Rushing” to establish a fund for the boys’ futures.

Stephen Jenkinson, MD

Stephen Jenkinson, MD, accomplished many great things in his lifetime, but he was most valued as a husband and friend.

He was born Dec. 9, 1947, in Shreveport, where he attended Centenary College and went on to graduate from the LSU Health Shreveport School of Medicine’s first graduating class in 1973. Dr. Jenkinson became a pulmonologist and critical care doctor who would later become the Chief of Pulmonary Critical Care at the University of Texas Health Science Center and the South Texas VA. Under his leadership, he and the late Kent Trinkle, MD, established one of the first lung transplant programs in the country.

He was a well-funded and respected researcher who published more than 100 articles, book chapters and textbooks.

Fondly dubbed “Dr. J,” he trained many of the nation’s top pulmonologists and critical care doctors. He recruited and mentored numerous faculty and trained more than 100 fellows, many of whom still practice in the San Antonio community today. Dr. Jenkinson will be remembered as a beloved, selfless doctor who touched lives across the country.

Garrett Blaine Ryder, MD

Garrett Blaine Ryder, MD, passed away on May 7, 2021, in Lake Charles, Louisiana, at age 57 following a brief illness.

Born in Philadelphia and raised in Shreveport, he completed his undergraduate studies at Baylor University where he met his wife, Angela, also of Shreveport. He received his medical degree from LSU Health Shreveport School of Medicine and went on to complete his residency training in psychiatry in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He was also board certified in geriatric psychiatry. He will be remembered as a jovial, fun-loving man who had time for everyone — inlcuding those canine in nature.

Those who knew Dr. Ryder professionally remember him as a thoughtful, thorough, and fiercely compassionate physician.

He cared deeply for his patients and worked to save and enrich the lives of thousands during his 31 years practicing psychiatry.

Lisa Smith Hodges, MD

Lisa Smith Hodges, MD, had a larger-than-life personality that shined through a beautiful face, a beautiful heart, and a brilliant mind. She passed away unexpectedly on Jan. 11, 2021. Dr. Hodges graduated from the LSU Health Shreveport School of Medicine and went on to become board certified in Pediatrics, Internal Medicine, and Infectious Disease. She taught residents and medical students at LSUHS for several years while caring for children with infectious diseases. Dr. Hodges used her many gifts of compassion, healing, fearlessness, and a yearning to help others by organizing medical mission teams to serve in Kenya, where they treated thousands. Her love for the people there led her to sponsor and assist in the Collisa Poultry Project, a chicken farm development to help feed people and give them a way to support themselves, now one of the top businesses in Kenya.

Richard Conrad Kamm, PhD, MD

Richard Conrad Kamm, MD, PhD, passed away on Jan. 24, 2021, in Shreveport, Louisiana, at age 73 after a brief illness. He received his Doctorate of Philosophy in Experimental Pathology from the University of Tennessee in Memphis in 1970. After receiving his PhD, he earned his Doctorate of Medicine from LSU Health Shreveport School of Medicine in 1973, the inaugural graduating class. Dr. Kamm then attended the National Institute of Health — Division of Computer Research and Technology in Bethesda, Maryland, and completed a degree in Medical Technology at LSU Shreveport in 1976. At the request of Albert G. Smith, MD, Dr. Kamm served as an instructor in Pathology at LSUHS and later as an Associate Clinical Professor for the School of Medicine.

Dr. Kamm received specialty certifications in the following areas: Medical Technology from the American Society of Clinical Pathologists in 1976; Anatomic and Clinical Pathology from the American Board of Pathology in 1976; Forensic Examiner from the American Board of Forensic Examiners in 1995; Forensic Medicine from the American Board of Forensic Medicine in 1996; and Disability Analyst from the American Board of Disability Analysts in 2000. He served as a clinical pathologist at the LSUHS academic medical center, Physicians and Surgeons Hospital, Doctors Hospital, Bossier Medical Center, A.J. Mullen Memorial Hospital, Willis-Knighton Medical Center, and CHRISTUS Schumpert Medical Center. He also later became certified as a Forensic Pathologist.

Randy Conrad Richter, MD, USAR, MC, Ret.

Col. Randy Conrad Richter, MD, USAR, MC, Ret. passed away on May 3, 2021, after three years with renal cell carcinoma. Of Dr. Richter’s many passions, the two most prominent in his life were his desire to help others and service to his country. For the first, after several years as a probation and parole officer, Dr. Richter attended medical school at LSU Health Shreveport, then went on to mentor future doctors as a professor for more than 30 years.

His second passion began with service in the Louisiana National Guard, which soon became intertwined with his first as he was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Army Reserve to serve in the Medical Service Corps. He served in many roles in this capacity, including tours in the Balkans, Iraq, and Afghanistan,

as well as serving as the Chief Surgeon General of the Army Reserve. He retired from the Army after 35 years of service.

Dr. Richter will be remembered for his warm and welcoming spirit, quick wit and humor, and the mischievous twinkle in his eye. He knew when to be firm and when to be tolerant. He led others in life-or-death situations both domestically and abroad.

He never knew a stranger, and his compassion and fellowship will be missed most of all.

Harold Chen, MD, MS, FAAP, FACMG

Harold Chen, MD, MS, FAAP, FACMG, passed away on July 11, 2021. Certified by the American Board of Pediatrics and American Board of Medical Genetics in Clinical Genetics and Clinical Cytogenetics, Dr. Chen served as a Professor of Pathology and Pediatrics, Obstetrics, and Gynecology, as well as Chief of Genetic Laboratory Services at LSU Health Shreveport.

He was a remarkable clinician, clinical morphologist, and educator who taught a number of generations of physicians and laboratorians. His publications include well over 183 articles and abstracts in addition to publishing what is recognized as one of the premier textbooks on genetics: Atlas of Genetic Diagnosis and Counseling. Dr. Chen contributed to advances putting genetics at the forefront of understanding of the mechanisms of the development of disease. His input and influence have led to significant changes in the approach to the diagnosis and management of many disorders.

Jason Hatfield, MD

LSUHS alumnus Rodney “Jason” Hatfield, a family medicine physician at Opelousas General Hospital, passed away unexpectantly while hiking in the Grand Canyon on July 14, 2021. He is survived by his wife, School of Medicine alumna Allison Stacey, MD, who he met while attending LSUHS medical school in 2003. He went on to complete an internship in Family Medicine and serve the community of Mansfield, Louisiana. Jason would do anything for family and friends, who describe him as very intellectual, loud, fun to talk with, and compassionate. He left a hole in the medical community, with many of his patients reaching out to his family to share their love and respect for him as their physician.

Ronald George, MD

Ronald Baylis George, MD, passed away July 19, 2021, at age 88.

He served as the LSUHS Chair of Medicine from 1992-2000. He also served as the Chief of the Pulmonary Disease Section from 1972-1992 and as a consultant to the Internal Medicine Service at the Overton Brooks VA Medical Center from 1982-2000.

He served his country in the 6038th U.S. Air Force Hospital in Misawa, Japan, from 1960-62.

Dr. George’s legacy will live on through the Ronald B. George Outstanding Clinical Student Award, which is sponsored annually by Red Ball Medical Supply as well as the Ronald B. George Scholars Program that is designed to expose pre-clinical medical students to the internal medicine specialties, hospitalist experience, and primary care experience. The students interact with physicians and patients during this four-week activity.

Gifts in memory of Dr. George can be made to the White Coat Scholarship Campaign at www.lsuhsfoundation.org/wcsc.

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2021 LSU HEALTH SHREVEPORT

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FULL AND PART-TIME FACULTY

Ralph L. Abraham, MD | Clinical Assistant Professor Radiology Timothy K. Ackerman, MD | Clinical Instructor Medicine Pediatrics Muhammad S. Afzal, MD | Clinical Instructor Internal Medicine Kenneth S. Aguirre, MD | Assistant Professor Family Medicine Shahab Ahmadzadeh, MD | Instructor Anesthesiology Mabruka Alfaidi, PhD | Instructor Pathology Shafaqat Ali, MD | Instructor Internal Medicine Bruno Alvarez Concejo, MD | Assistant Professor Internal Medicine Benedict Amalraj, MD | Clinical Instructor Internal Medicine Shaheena C. Anene, MD | Assistant Professor Pediatrics Alfonso Aquino, MD | Assistant Professor Anesthesiology Octavio D. Arevalo, MD | Assistant Professor Radiology Jacob A. Armstrong, MD | Assistant Professor Pathology Sundeep Atluri, MD | Assistant Professor Internal Medicine Ahmed E. Badr, MD | Professor Anesthesiology Dayanand N. Bagdure, MD | Associate Professor Pediatrics Perry S. Barrilleaux, MD | Assistant Professor OBGYN Nirmal P. Basaula, MD | Clinical Instructor Internal Medicine Brian E. Bernhardt, MD | Assistant Professor Anesthesiology Rebecca L. Berry, NP | Instructor Neurosurgery Jayalakshmi N. Bhat, MD, MPH, FAAP | Assistant Professor Pediatrics Ramachandra Bhat, MD, FAAP | Associate Professor Pediatrics Mohammad A. N. Bhuiyan, PhD | Assistant Professor Internal Medicine Gregory J. Bijak, MD | Assistant Professor Anesthesiology Vijaywant S. Brar, MD | Assistant Professor Cardiology Randal K. Buddington | Professor Molecular & Cellular Physiology Laxman Yashwant Byreddi, MD | Clinical Instructor Internal Medicine Qiang Cai, MD, PhD | Professor Gastroenterology Azem A. Chami, MD | Instructor - Clinical Anesthesiology Brett M. Chapman, MD | Assistant Professor - Clinical Surgery Saleha S. Dar, MD | Instructor - Clinical Internal Medicine Karuna Dewan, MD, FACS | Assistant Professor Otolaryngology Caitlin E. Duck | Instructor Clinical Cardiopulmonary Science Tanja Dudenbostel, MD | Associate Professor Internal Medicine Laura C. Earnest, DDS | Assistant Professor Oral & Maxillofacial Surg Elliott M. Freeman Jr., MFA | Librarian Meeli R. Gandhi, MD | Assistant Professor - Clinical OBGYN Nitesh Gandhi, MD | Instructor - Clinical Internal Medicine Hongyan Guo, PhD | Assistant Professor Microbiology & Immunology Sunny Gupta, MD | Assistant Professor Clinical Orthopedics Christopher Haas, MD | Assistant Professor Dermatology Gelinia Jackson, MD | Instructor Clinical Nephrology John Jacob, MD | Clinical Instructor Internal Medicine Rohit K. Jangra, PhD | Assistant Professor Microbiology & Immunology Chatura D. Jayasinghepatirane, MD | Assistant Professor Internal Medicine Pooja Jethani, OTR, LOTR | Assistant Professor Occupational Therapy Muhammad Talha Khan, MD | Instructor Family Medicine Peter Klucar, MD | Assistant Professor Family Medicine Arpitha Komaragiri, MD | Assistant Professor - Clinical Neurology Leigh Liles, MD | Assistant Professor Psychiatry & Behavioral Medicine Snigdha Likki, MD | Assistant Professor Pediatrics Mario H. Lobao, MD | Assistant Professor Clinical Orthopedics Lauren W. Lowery, MD | Assistant Professor Obstetrics & Gynecology Alexandre Malek, MD | Assistant Professor Infectious Diseases Sylvester Yari Mapoh, MD | Assistant Professor Family Medicine Meher Sindhoora Mavuram, MD | Assistant Professor Gastroenterology

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Brenton W. McDonald, MD | Assistant Professor Clinical Radiology Geoffrey A. McLeod, MD | Assistant Professor Family Medicine Shawn E. McNeil, MD, FAPA | Clinical Assistant Professor Psychiatry & Behavioral Medicine George S. Mina, MD | Assistant Professor Cardiology Rusella Mirza, MD | Instructor Pathology Brittney N. Mitchell, MD | Assistant Professor Emergency Medicine Kinza Muzaffar, MD | Clinical Assistant Professor Internal Medicine Taichiro Nonaka, DDS, PhD | Assistant Professor Cellular Biology & Anatomy John Pang, MD | Assistant Professor Otolaryngology Arvin Parvathaneni, MD, MPH | Assistant Professor Clinical Neurology Ashritha Penagaluri, MD | Assistant Professor Clinical Cardiology Kevin J. Perry, MD | Assistant Professor Orthopedic Surgery Patricia Pichilingue Reto, MD | Assistant Professor Pediatrics Paulette M. Pinargote Cornejo, MD | Assistant Professor Clinical Infectious Disease Evelyn B. Pryor, MD | Associate Professor Clinical Telemedicine Hashmi Rafeek, MD | Assistant Professor Clinical Infectious Diseases Kathryn R. Rhymes, MD | Clinical Instructor Surgery Amy L. Rinder, OT, CHT | Assistant Professor Clinical Occupational Therapy Todd A. Rinder, PhD, LAT, HEC, CSCS | Associate Professor Clinical Physical Therapy Oren S. Rom, PhD, RD | Assistant Professor Pathology Janet L. Rossi, MD | Assistant Professor Clinical Pediatrics Katie Johnson Rushing, MPAS, PA-C | Instructor Physician’s Assistant Armando Salinas, PhD | Assistant Professor Pharmacology, Toxicology & Neuroscience Pramod K. Savarapu, MD | Instructor Internal Medicine John R. Savoy, MD | Assistant Professor - Clinical Surgery Umran Senyer, MD | Assistant Professor Pediatrics Shivani Sharma, MD | Instructor Internal Medicine Roberto F. Silva Aguiar, MD | Assistant Professor Pathology Deborah G. Smith, PhD, MPH, BSN | Assistant Professor Public Health FNU Sourabh, MD | Instructor - Clinical Internal Medicine Muhammad J. Sultan, MD | Instructor Clinical Internal Medicine Hidehiro Takei, MD | Professor Pathology Vesna Tesic, PhD | Assistant Professor Neurology Sarah P. Thayer, MD, PhD, FACS | Director Feist-Weiller Cancer Center Anoop Jose Thoppil, MD | Instructor Clinical Internal Medicine Rafael Tolentino, MD | Assistant Professor Surgery Jamie B. Toms, MD | Assistant Professor Neurosurgery Natalie F. Trujillo-Aguirre, MD | Assistant Professor Family Medicine Elizabeth A. Tucker, MD | Assistant Professor Pediatrics Jean Claude Uwamungu, MD | Assistant Professor Clinical Cardiology Juanita Valdes Camacho, MD | Assistant Professor Allergy & Immunology Joseph Walters Jr., MD | Assistant Professor Clinical Internal Medicine Dongdong Wang, PhD | Instructor Feist-Weiller Cancer Center Charles W. Webb, DO, CAQSM, FAMSSM, FAAFP | Associate Professor Sports Medicine Elizabeth W. Wooden | Instructor - Clinical Communication Disorders Yin-Chieh Wu, PhD | Assistant Professor Neurology Art Yurdagul Jr., PhD | Assistant Professor Molecular & Cellular Physiology Andrew S. Zhang, MD | Assistant Professor Orthopedic Surgery Quanguang Zhang, MD | Professor Neurology Hassaan A. Zia, MD | Assistant Professor Internal Medicine Priyanka Gill, MD, MPH | Clinical Instructor Cardiology Janice W. Hollier, MD | Clinical Assistant Professor Psychiatry & Behavioral Medicine Pam K. McPherson, MD, FAPA | Associate Professor Psychiatry & Behavioral Medicine Krystal E. Pearce, MHS, MLS | Clinical Assistant Professor Medical Technology Christina R. Reynolds, MD | Clinical Assistant Professor Neurology Jennifer K. Seidenberg, MD | Clinical Assistant Professor Pediatrics

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City of Shreveport Council Recognition The Shreveport City Council also recognized the pandemic response efforts of LSU Health Shreveport which was at the forefront of Louisiana’s response with novel clinical therapies to include the first convalescent plasma therapy in Louisiana and among the first in the nation, robust testing and vaccination clinics. Praise was heaped on the Center for Emerging Viral Threats for its’ irreplaceable role in the LSUHS pandemic response.

Chancellor G. E. Ghali accepted the proclamation on behalf of all those involved in the pandemic response with a special thanks to Dr. Chris Kevil, Vice Chancellor for Research. The proclamation was presented by Councilman James Green and Mayor Adrian Perkins on March 9, 2020 marked the one year anniversary since Louisiana’s first confirmed COVID case, making the recognition presented a year to the day an appropriate moment to reflect on all that has been accomplished and the exceedingly important role of an academic medical center during a public health emergency.

LSU Health Shreveport honored by the City of Shreveport City of Shreveport Mayor Adrian D. Perkins proclaimed December 18, 2020, to be “LSU Health Shreveport Day.” The honor was bestowed at an outdoor press conference in recognition of the immense contributions by LSU Health Shreveport faculty, staff, and students in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Perkins noted that the world has a safe and effective vaccine because of the life-saving work done by scientists and researchers around the world, including those right here at LSU Health Shreveport. Former Chair of Biochemistry, Dr. Robert Rhoads, created the technology that helped stabilize the mRNA aspect of the Pfizer vaccine. Also noted was the quick response by LSUHS in providing COVID testing throughout the community in both rural and developed areas

Regional Impact Award from Bossier Chamber of Commerce The Bossier Chamber of Commerce honored top business and community leaders at the 73rd Annual Meeting on April 22.

LSU Health Shreveport received the Regional Impact Award for their leadership role in the pandemic response and was a finalist for the 2020 Business of the Year. LSUHS Leadership was honored by the recognition and humbly accepted on behalf of the faculty, staff and students.

Representing LSUHS at the Bossier Chamber Annual Meeting were Dr. Andrew Yurochko, Vice Chancellor of Microbiology & Immunology & Director of the Center of Excellence for Emerging Viral Threats; Dr. Chuck Fox, Vice Chancellor for Clinical Affairs; Annella Nelson, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Research Development; Dr. Chris Kevil, Vice Chancellor for Research; Dr. Markey Pierre, Vice Chancellor for External Affairs; and Lisa Babin, Executive Director of Communications & Public Affairs.

Physical Therapy students recognized by VCU Marquette Challenge The Marquette Challenge is a grassroots, student-led fundraising effort that supports the mission of the Foundation for Physical Therapy Research (FPTR). Each year, hundreds of physical therapist (PT) and physical therapist assistant (PTA) students, with the support of their program directors and community, hold fundraising events across the United States.

Physical therapy students from the School of Allied Health Professions (SAHP) banded together to raise just under $8,000—surpassing their $5,000 goal. In addition to acquiring community sponsors – Optim Manual Therapy and Yokem Toyota, a 5K race, kickball tournament, and a pie face challenge events were organized yielding 26 5k runners, 60 kickball players, and 15 pie participants contributing to the record breaking fundraising. In recognition of the student’s creativity and dedication, the Foundation for Physical Therapy Research presented LSU Health Shreveport with the VCU-Marquette Challenge Award of Merit and recognized the school at their June 2021 awards ceremony.

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Mudbug Heroes

LSU Health Shreveport was honored to serve as the official medical provider for USA Boxing National Championship in the largest competitive event in the history of their organization.

Held March 25-April 3 at the Shreveport Convention Center, LSU Health Shreveport faculty physicians, Dr. Shane Barton - Chair of Orthopedic Surgery; Dr Peter Seidenberg - Chair of Family Medicine and Comprehensive Care; Dr. Charles Webb Division Chief for Sports Medicine in the Department of Family Medicine; Dr. Aguirre - Sports Medicine; Dr. John Vanchiere - Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine and Director of LSUHS COVID 19 Testing and Vaccine; and dozens of residents, were involved in the weigh-in, medical supervision and COVID testing for athletes and coaches.

2021 Annual Hospitality Awards & Best of Preps On May 6, 2021 LSU Health Shreveport sports medicine physicians had their volunteer service recognized by Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser at the 2021 Annual Hospitality Awards hosted by the Shreveport-Bossier Tourism Bureau and Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission. LSU Health Shreveport was named Healthcare Provider of the Year. Representing LSU Health Shreveport at the awards ceremony were Dr. Peter Seidenberg, Chair of Family Medicine, and Dr. Charles Webb, Director of Sports Medicine Division.

LSU Health Shreveport served as the presenting sponsor of the 2021 Shreveport Times Best of Preps Awards to honor student athletes and coaches throughout North Louisiana.

Dr. Patrick Massey, Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and Director of Clinical Research at LSU Health Shreveport delivered comments on the role of medicine in sports and presented plaques to honorees.

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Blood Drive Participation

LifeShare Blood in Shreveport experienced critically low blood supplies in early 2021 with LSU Health Shreveport faculty, staff and students packing blood drives held in coordination with our clinical partner Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport working together to replenish strained blood supplies. LSUHS faculty were rockstars of the blood drives, consistently packing the donation schedule.

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Shreveport Mudbugs Hockey team honored LSU Health Shreveport first responders at the March 6th game held at the Hirsch Memorial Coliseum.

Dr. John Vanchiere, Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine, and the Director of COVID-19 Testing and Vaccines at LSU Health Shreveport, dropped the fist puck to kick off the game. During the halftime intermission, LSU Health Shreveport medical school students were called out to the ice to participate in a fun game of tug of war against other groups of first responders.

Day with the Doctors The Area Health Education Program (AHEC) provides opportunity to those in rural and medically underserved areas.

On March 31st, April 7th, and April 14th, student groups from high schools across north Louisiana participated in A Day with the Doctors — a one-day experience that allows eligible juniors and seniors with at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA, and who express interest in pursuing a medical career as a physician to participate. Medical school students, physicians and staffers guide students through hospital departments demonstrating various aspects of healthcare through the eyes of a physician.

Students learn about medical problems, work with specimens and microscopic slides, learn suturing techniques, practice basic life support techniques, explore the anatomy and/or pathology labs, interact with medical students and faculty, and receive medical school admissions information and more.

School of Medicine Girls Puberty Program LSU Health Shreveport chapter of the American Medical Women’s Association hosted a free, fun and interactive workshop to teach young girls about their growing bodies. Girls ages 9 – 12 were invited to learn about the physical, emotional, and social changes that happen during puberty. LSUHS medical students had the opportunity to share their wisdom on what they’ve learned as women and students of medicine.

Student Organized Drives

After seeing patients discharged from the hospital without clothing to wear home, LSU Health Shreveport School of Medicine students made local news for organizing a clothing drive to meet this need. Additional drives by students from all three schools collected books for patients, diapers, and essential items for Hurricane Ida victims.

Geaux Bald

Medical students raised money for the St. Baldricks Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research by hosting a SHAVE DAY with faculty, staff, and students. The LSUHS chapter was named the highest fundraising college chapter in the nation in 2020 and 2021 beating out 75 other institutions around the country by raising a total of $60,339.32.

AVALON HAIR SALON wielded the shears for the event by providing the hair cuts.

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IDEAS Day – March 15, 2021

Give for Good

The family-friendly Interactive Day of Education and Awareness of Science (I.D.E.A.S.) is a free annual event that traditionally features hands-on activities involving science, technology, engineering, and math. For IDEAS Day 2021, Science Matters Shreveport went virtual and explained how herd immunity works. Science Matters is a student organization with the mission to promote awareness of the importance of science in the Shreveport/Bossier community via education, outreach, and advocacy. To view their presentation, visit the LSU Health Shreveport YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/ LSUHealthShreveport.

Hosted by the Community Foundation, Give for Good is a 24-hour online giving challenge held each May that spotlights nonprofits across North Louisiana. LSU Health Shreveport Foundation received $83,638 from over 100 donors on Give For Good Day. The LSU Health Shreveport Foundation organized a Gratitude Day to celebrate the amazing patrons and donors supporting the LSUHS faculty, residents and students of the School of Medicine, School of Graduate Studies, and School of Allied Health Professions. Students joined together to write hundreds of personalized thank you notes, recorded #LoveLSUHS testimonials, and shared the impact donors had on their education.

Campus Federal Donation Benefits Center for Medical Education and Wellness LSU Health Shreveport received a $100,000 gift from Campus Federal Credit Union to support the Center for Medical Education and Wellness and the Center for Emerging Viral Threats. Campus Federal Credit Union is a long-time supporter of Louisiana State University’s campuses throughout the state and has supported numerous LSU Health Shreveport events and initiatives, including An Evening for Healers, Feist-Weiller Cancer Center’s Life Savers fundraiser, Employee Excellence Awards, and Camp Tiger. This $100,000 gift to the Center for Medical Education and Wellness and the Center for Emerging Viral Threats marks the largest contribution in support of LSU Health Shreveport

by Campus Federal Credit Union.

Center for Medical Education & Wellness ✔ 140 days of construction completed ❏ ❏ 590 days to go

Scholarship Funding The Louisiana Board of Regents awarded matching funds to multiple scholarships including the Sandra and Jerry Martin Endowed Scholarship for Medical Students. This was the third Martin scholarship to receive $40,0000 in matching funds by the Louisiana Board of Regents and was the highest ranked proposal recommended for funding. The Margaret Shehee Cole Endowed Scholarship in Diversity, Inclusivity and Excellence in Academics in the School of Allied Health Professions also received $40,000 in matching funds to create a $100,000 endowment.

ReMax Food Donation for CEVT Strike Team LSU Health Shrevepor t is grateful for the many kindnesses ex tended to members of our vaccine and testing teams. ReMax Real Estate Services and Motto Mortgage provided delicious lunches to the dedicated team of LSUHS staff and students, BPCC nursing students and members of the Louisiana National Guard administering vaccines and testing at the first massvaccination site in the state.

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New Wellness Program LSU Health Shreveport administration invested in the totalbody wellness of the campus with the launch of the new Institutional Wellness Program. Headed by Dr. Marie VazquezMorgan, Assistant Vice Chancellor of Institutional Wellness and Associate Professor of Physical Therapy for the School of Allied Health Professions, the mission of the program is to empower individuals to take responsibility for their health and to support a sense of community in which overall well-being is recognized as an essential element of success.

Faculty, staff, students and residents participated in a campuswide survey, which scored and assessed the individual’s well-being and then provided resources to improve the score. Students and residents were also directly connected to expanded mental health services being provided by the LSU Health Shreveport Counseling Center. Dr. Mark Cogburn,

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Director of Student Mental Health and Professor of Clinical Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, led the relocation and expansion of the Student Counseling Center. In addition to a larger physical footprint, the Center also introduced a Mental Health Crisis Line that is staffed 365 days a year by three licensed and trusted professionals.

The program’s focus on the five core areas ushered in several initiatives across the campus, including the addition of refrigerated vending machines stocked with hearthealthy options, tasting events and cooking demonstrations highlighting healthy foods, the creation of indoor and outdoor walking paths, financial seminars, music therapy and mindful meditation workshops, and the introduction of the BurnAlong wellness app available to LSUHS employees, students and their families.

School of Medicine Academic Medical Societies

School of Medicine Student Lounge Refreshed

Established this year by Associate Dean of Student Affairs, Debbie Chandler, MD, MBA, the LSUHS Academic Medical Societies exemplify our institution’s innovative approach to medical education. The six societies serve as the organizational framework for students’ general medical education, professional growth, and social support, thereby forming an integral part of the LSU Health Shreveport experience.

Students with the LSUHS Executive Council surprised Chancellor G.E. Ghali with a THANK YOU for his positive response to their request to update the Student Lounge.

During a quarterly student meeting, it was brought to Dr Ghali’s attention that the student lounge had not been updated in over a decade. The prompt response transformed a very mundane space to a bright and relaxing space with new furniture, art, rugs, plants, lighting and a full-size fridge allowing more students a place bring their lunch.

Using community-style medical education, the Academic Societies at LSU Health Shreveport bring together faculty members, students, society advisory deans, and coordinators to provide support for career planning and choosing residencies, as well as offer enrichment opportunities and promote individual growth.

Each society is named in honor of former Deans or Chancellors of LSU Heath Shreveport: Hull, Muslow, McDonald, Williams, Rigby, and Chesson. Societies hold exclusive networking events and engage in social and academic competitions that increase engagement among students, while also acting as ambassadors for those interested in our academic medical institution.

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A new space on the ground floor of library opened, offering students more study space. The new space welcomed a fresh batch of students arriving with the start of the academic cycle in August. In addition to the new student commons area, construction on an outdoor space for students was completed. The new space located adjacent to the Administration Building is available to students looking for a quiet outdoor area to study or take lunch breaks.

Students can also enjoy a peaceful view of the Chancellor’s Garden that is tucked between the Administration building and Medical School building.

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LARC Mental Health Summit — the Largest Virtual Meeting in LSUHS History On Thursday, April 22, the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, in conjunction with the Louisiana Addiction Research Center (LARC), offered the inaugural LARC Mental Health Summit with a Focus on Suicide Prevention. The virtual summit offered up to 7.75 free hours of CME/CEU, along with a variety of panelists that discussed mental health issues relevant to healthcare workers and physicians. Attendees of the virtual meeting received resources and guidance on topics such as stress management, social isolation, substance use, and updates on the new Wellness program available to LSUHS staff, faculty, and students. To date, this virtual CME conference had the largest attendance in the history of LSU Health Shreveport, maxing out all available attendance slots.

LSU Health Shreveport School of Allied Health Professions approved as a Center of Academic Excellence The LSU Board of Supervisors designated the LSUHS School of Allied Health Professions as a Center of Academic Excellence in Patient Centered Rehabilitation(CAE-PaCeR). CAE-PaCeR establishes the necessary infrastructure to deliver patientcentered rehabilitation in an academic culture of excellence for clinical learning, innovation, and collaboration. With nearly 50 years of multi-disciplinary service to the communities of Northwest Louisiana, the academic and clinical programs providing a strong foundation for the Center would include four academic programs, three clinics, and three residency programs as listed below: ACADEMIC PROGRAMS • Doctor of Physical Therapy • Communications Disorders – Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology • PhD Program in Rehabilitation Sciences • Master of Occupational Therapy CLINICS • SAHP Faculty Rehabilitation Clinic • Mollie E. Webb Speech and Hearing Center • SAHP Children’s Center PHYSICAL THERAPY RESIDENCIES • Orthopaedic • Neurologic • Wound Management

Dental Services Expansion Program The Louisiana Board of Supervisors supported the requested expansion by LSU Health Shreveport and LSU Health New Orleans to increase dental services throughout Louisiana. The citizens of Louisiana need unrestricted access to oral health services for public health, safety, and wellness. The LSU Health New Orleans School of Dentistry and LSU Health School of Medicine-Shreveport expansion initiative, in partnership with Ochsner-LSU Health Shreveport (OLHS), aims to increase general dental services and limited specialty-level dental services to citizens of the various regions of Louisiana by providing safe, affordable and quality OHS. The proposed expansion report was spurred by Senate Resolution 190 of the 2019 Regular Session and in response to the Board of Regents study related to that resolution. There is a strong documented need for OHS services in central and northern Louisiana. On average, there are 3,397 citizens per general dental practice in Louisiana, which is higher than the current US average of 3,018. The statewide average of 6,936 citizens per specialty practice, is higher than the current US average of 5,783.

Approximately 87.5% of Louisiana is designated as a Dental Health Professional Shortage Area (DHPSA). The state suffers from the uneven distribution of oral healthcare workers with the greatest concentrations in larger metropolitan areas. Of the 64 Louisiana parishes, 3 have no dentist and 23 have 1 to 5 dentists with the highest concentrations in parishes of the northern and central portions of the state.

The development of oral health services required an expanded footprint by LSU Heath via dental annexes in partnership with regional hospitals, medical centers, FQHCs and RHCs. The annexes are to be strategically implemented over three phases over the next 5 years, with the goal of allowing all Louisiana citizens access to safe and quality dental care.

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BITS Technology Thanks to a second grant from the Noel Foundation, the School of Allied Health Professions at LSU Health Shreveport now offers advanced educational opportunities for entry-level professional and residency education programs. The Bioness BITS Balance System provides students with the opportunity to have simulation and hands on experience with the most advanced technology available in real time. With the versatile balance tracking and the wide variety of balance therapies, BITS Balance can be used to train patients with varying degrees of mobility and improve outcomes.

Suzanne Tinsley, PhD, PT, Assistant Vice Chancellor of Institutional Advancement, Parks Professor of Neurological Rehabilitation and Associate Director of the Center for Brain Health – Neuro Rehabilitation stated, “Private grant support, like this grant received from the Noel Foundation, sets us apart when it comes to education, research and service to our community. We were the first facility in the world to receive this advance technology. As a premiere academic health system in the state, we are so thankful to the Noel Foundation for their commitment to supporting educational opportunities across the spectrum of higher education.”

From Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy to Speech Therapy, the BITS Balance combines visual, cognitive, motor and balance training into one session, providing the patient and therapist with the most efficient technology to date. This combination is increasingly important as clinical research shows that dual-task ability holds potential to improve gait, balance, and cognition in individuals with neurologic disorders.

Specific aspects of the new technology allow providers to determine patients’ limits of stability, fall risk, range of motion, body sway and more. The standard digitized balance assessments such as the Berg Balance Scale assessment score patients on a scale of zero to four on various activities, assessing static and dynamic balance ability as well as sitting vs. standing balance ability. In addition, with the Functional Reach Test, assess limits of stability while reaching in standing or sitting position. For an objective measure of postural stability, providers can also utilize the Romberg and Sensory Integration Test.

Expansion of Nurse Anesthesia Program

UPD Command Center Updates

The LSU Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to approve the memorandum of understanding (MOU) to expand the Doctor of Nursing Practice Nurse Anesthesia Program (DNP-NA) at LSU Health New Orleans. The class size was increased by ten additional students that will conduct their clinical training at LSU Health Shreveport.

University Police were pleased to share the new updates to the Communication Office Command Center with the campus. Due to the department’s growth and an increased focus on safety by LSUHS leadership, offices were relocated to renovated space on the ground floor of A-Building, room G110.

The new location boasts ample space, an officer report writing room, technology upgrades, plus an additional 145 viewing cameras. These enhancements and expansion position UPD to significantly increase campus security.

The collaboration seeks to remedy the severe shortage of nurses in Louisiana by expanding the availability of undergraduate and graduate nursing programs in North Louisiana. LSU Health New Orleans and LSU Health Shreveport acknowledge the congruence in their respective missions and welcome the opportunity to leverage established skills and resources to advance a shared mission and goals.

“LSU Health Shreveport looks forward to working with our sister institution in South Louisiana to positively impact statewide nursing shortages. We are confident that working together we can lessen the current challenges on health care systems”, stated former Chancellor Dr. G. E. Ghali

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The CrimeStar CAD (Computer Aided Dispatch System) is a powerful real time command and control process that tracks information relating to all calls and field unit activity from LSUHS officers and support teams. CrimeStar CAD also utilizes multiple sizable stats windows, allowing the communication officer to see everything at a glance. In addition to the powerful capabilities of the CAD, the system can extend into field computers as a full mobile digital dispatch solution. Captain Jamie Walker noted, “We take pride in our new location as it provides increased capability to respond to the needs of the institution. We are dedicated to providing all with the service you deserve.” Each UPD officer and support team member is focused on continued improvement of the services and response they provide.

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LSU Health Shreveport Selected to Partner with Focus Fund and MD Anderson The Focus Fund GP, LLC in partnership with The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center launched Cancer Focus Fund, LP, an oncology-focused investment fund designed to support compelling investigational cancer therapies to advance them from preclinical stages through Phase I and Phase IB/ II clinical trials.

Small to midsize biopharmaceutical companies often face challenges in launching appropriate clinical studies of their investigational therapies due to a lack of funding or connections to expert oncologists to conduct early clinical trials. Cancer Focus Fund, LP answered this unmet need by providing investments in promising therapeutics that would accelerate them through Investigational New Drug (IND) approval and Phase I and Phase IB/II studies.

“The Cancer Focus Fund is a unique investment fund that aligns the scientific and clinical expertise of MD Anderson with business experts, public financing entities and private venture capital to propel promising cancer therapies toward pivotal trials,” said Ross Barrett, a founder and Managing Partner of Cancer Focus Fund, LP.

Health Shreveport Foundation stands as a limited partner with Rice University Endowment, the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, Ochsner Health and other private investors.

LSU Health Shreveport is eager to work with Cancer Focus Fund, LP portfolio companies to provide additional clinical trial sites and patients for clinical studies for therapies that have received IND approval.

Dr. Chris Kevil, Vice-Chancellor for Research at LSU Health Shreveport said, “LSU Health Shreveport is excited to be a part of the Cancer Focus Fund to bring the latest new cancer clinical trials to our community. We are confident our clinical trial facilities, coupled with expanded access to patients across north and central Louisiana in partnership with Ochsner Health, will yield promising results for all citizens of Louisiana.”

Patients are often forced to travel outside of Northwest Louisiana to receive novel therapies only available through clinical trials, which quickly becomes expensive for families short on financial resources. With clinical trials happening locally, patients will save on travel expenses as well as the stress associated with traveling long distances for treatment.

Cancer Focus Fund, LP has achieved its initial goal of $50 million in committed capital and may raise up to $75 million. LSU

LSU Health Shreveport Receives Funding from the Rockefeller Foundation

Alumnus Pioneers Use of Handheld Device to Diagnosis of Hansen’s Disease

LSU Health Shreveport researchers are working to stop the next COVID-19 from becoming a pandemic. LSUHS received $340,000 in funding from the Rockefeller Foundation’s Pandemic Prevention Institute. The partnership followed the announcement of LSU Health Shreveport being awarded $730,000 to further its work in genomic sequencing of COVID-19 through an NIH supplemental grant. LSUHS is one of only four academic institutions selected for partnership to improve pandemic responsiveness joining Harvard and the Broad Institute at MIT among others in the US Regional Accelerators for Genomic Surveillance. Made possible through collaboration with Louisiana Tech University and Grambling University, the receipt of these competitive grants signify that LSU Health Shreveport has earned respect at the highest level for work in genomic sequencing.

An LSUHS alumnus is helping overcome the challenges of diagnosing Hansen’s disease, better known as leprosy.

“Fast, accurate genomic sequencing information is the key to ending the COVID-19 pandemic and the suffering it has caused. Yet today only 14 countries, all of which have developed economies, are sequencing five percent or more of their cases and sharing them through global databases,” said Rajiv J. Shah, President of the Rockefeller Foundation. “For that reason, The Rockefeller Foundation is strengthening global sequencing capacity to end this pandemic for all as soon as possible.”

In 2019, Stephen Wheat, MD, Class of 1991, began using the Butterfly iQ, one of the first handheld, whole body ultrasound devices, in his neuromuscular and skeletal electrodiagnostic specialty. He was pleased with the results and portability of the device, which can be used with a smartphone or tablet.

Familiar with the challenges in diagnosing leprosy across the globe, Dr. Wheat began to hypothesize how using a “pocket” ultrasound device might change the efficacy with which the world diagnosed this disease, which affects more than 3 million people with 200,000 new cases recorded each year.

He teamed up with Michael Stephen Cartwright, MD, Professor of Neurology at Wake Forest School of Medicine, and Barbara M. Stryjewska, MD, Chief Medical Officer of the National Hansen’s Disease Center in Baton Rouge, who were working with the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine in conducting reseach on the nine-banded armadillo, the only other natural host for leprosy besides humans.

After months of research and human and armadillo trials, the team proposed that using such a portable handheld device, one-tenth of the cost of larger ultrasound machines, will improve the efficacy in diagnosing leprosy by making diagnostic tools affordable in any location in the world.

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School of Medicine School of Graduate Studies School of Allied Health Professions LSU Health Sciences Foundation Shreveport

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481,132 COVID-19 PCR tests sequenced

8,836 SARS-CoV-2 genomes administered

102,839 vaccines For current testing and vaccine information, go to www.lsuhs.edu